Fracture
by Darcie11
Summary: Attacked on the road, Princess Zelda is left defenseless and alone in the wilderness. Her only hope to return safely home resides with a wolf, and a man named Link. Twilight Prince au. Zelink Week.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is what I wrote for Veriea's Zelink week in December. It's mostly finished, but needs to be spruced up, so I'll be posting each chapter as I revise them. Enjoy!**

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 **Part I**

 **By your side**

She ran as if the bloodthirsty hounds of the dark one were panting at her heels. She ran despite her rapid intakes of breaths, accounting for her sudden onset of dizziness; and the heavy panging of her racing heart, threatening to burst from her chest. She ran because there was no stopping.

Because if she stopped she would most certainly meet death.

And arrow tore past her and nicked a slit in her sleeve. Zelda gave a terrified sob at the closeness of the shot. She kept to the denser clusters of trees, where there was more underbrush and hanging branches, praying it would hold as a meager layer of protection between her and her assailants.

A foul curse sounded somewhere behind her too close for her liking. Way too close. They were rapidly catching up to her. The thundering of hastened footsteps never ceasing as they came after her.

Zelda gave another sob as a second arrow shot, this time embedding in the trunk of a tree she'd just passed.

Pushing to a frantic pace, she sprinted through a patch of brambles and stumbled when her night shift was caught in the branches. She yanked at the material, hands gripping the fabric tightly as she tried to free herself. Daring a hasty glance behind her she whimpered to find the men – those vile brigands – rapidly closing in on her.

Tears cascaded down her face and she wiped them from her vision then desperately renewed her efforts. With one last forceful jerk, the gown ripped free.

Giving a muted cry, she turned and ran, uncaring that it had been one of her favorites. A patch of fabric was left hanging from the bent branches, evidence of her passing.

The time spent untangling herself from the bush had caused the brigands to close another few yards distance between them. She could hear their gleeful shouts as she came into their sights.

Zelda sprinted through the woods as quick as her legs could carry her, desensitized to the abuse her bare feet were receiving.

Oh, why hadn't she kept her riding clothes on like her attendant had suggested? Shad had been the one to advice her never to sleep in regular nightwear when not in an actual bed. Be ready to run. Be ready to ride at all times. But she hadn't. She'd foolishly discarded his advice as she always did.

Another arrow was shot. This one punctured the tree immediately to her right.

A startled shriek erupted unbidden from her throat and Zelda fought the instinct to duck down and curl herself in a ball with eyes shut tight and just hope that it all ended. That they'd just leave her alone.

They had to be nigh for such clear shots to go unimpeded by the dank foliage.

A whimper escaped between the harsh pants as she frantically gasped for air. Her chest was about to burst from the lack of sufficient oxygen.

"Please stop," she gasped weakly, a silent plea. An unheeded one.

The next arrow to be released pierced the wood of a low-hanging branch feet in front of her.

It was enough. Dreading the sight of anymore arrows, her eyes snapped shut as she harrowed on. A foolish action which cost her her footing.

Zelda tripped, her ankle colliding harshly against a tree root, and fell tumbling through an array of ferns.

Something sharp scratched her arm as gravity pulled her down. Zelda whipped open her eyes, jaw dropping wordlessly as she landed on hands and knees in a small clearing.

Her heart pounded when she saw that a mere ten feet in front of her the forest came to an abrupt halt as it led off onto a ledge. Gathering herself up, Zelda tentatively strode forward, her stomach plummeting at the sight of the drop.

It was a relatively small chasm, although still daunting. Far below stretched a raging river, with rocks jutting from the surface like the jaws of a bear.

She swallowed and cautiously backed away, heart pounding frantically in her chest. If she hadn't tripped- if she'd continue running with her eyes closed-

The thought made her queasy. She wanted nothing but to roll to the side and vomit.

It felt dangerous to look at. Even more so to swim it. There was no way to cross. She'd have to choose a new direction. But which way to go?

Crude laughter echoed in the space behind her. Lamenting her hesitation, she turned shakily to see the four men that had pursued her emerge from the trees, predatory sneers on their snide faces.

Zelda fought for her composure as she backed up a step, coming eerily close to the lip of the chasm.

Three arrows immediately trained on her, however one of the men waved them down. Disgruntled, the others obeyed. The first man strode forward with purpose, careful to keep his distance as he scrutinized her.

Like approaching a skittish kitten, Zelda fancied.

The man spoke, voice husky and coercive, "Come now, girly. We ain't gonna kill you."

The men exchanged jeering smirks with one another. Zelda's bottom lip started trembling.

Her father would have had them all blinded with the way they looked at her. But as such, her father wasn't here. And neither were her guards. She was completely on her own.

She flinched and darted her gaze to the right as one of the other men strode closer, this one with a hooked nose and a missing eye. "But we will mess with you a bit if you don't listen to us." He gave a mocking smile, displaying a set of yellow-stained teeth. "Come with us nice and quiet-like and nothing will happen to you. Once we get the money from your dear old daddy the king we'll let you go peacefully."

"But if you're not a good girl we'll be sending him your corpse."

Mocking laughter resounded and Zelda felt her stomach lurch.

So they wanted her for ransom. No, she was deluding herself. They wanted her for auction. To offer her to the highest bidder. Shad had warned her of such things as well. Her father was king and because of that had a great deal of enemies, many with power great enough to pose a serious threat if it came to blackmail using his daughter. If her father didn't place a high enough bid the wellbeing of the whole country would be at stake. But then her own wellbeing would be at stake if his council forced him to forsake his only child for the good of the nation.

At that enlightenment Zelda felt a course of determination fill her. That could not happen. She would _not_ allow herself to be leverage against her father. Her poor ailing father…

"Come on now," gruffed the first man, taking another step forward. "Don't make us have to get rough with you. You wouldn't like that."

There was dishonesty in his voice. Dishonesty which he didn't even attempt to conceal. But of course, these were brigands. Bandits. Lies were their bread and butter. She was no fool. She wasn't ignorant as to what happened to women unfortunate enough to be taken as loot. Their promise that she'd remain unharmed was an empty one. No matter what she decided or how cooperative she was, they were bound to commit all sorts of insidious atrocities to her.

If it was a choice they were giving her, then she'd choose death. Death over being their play toy. Death, no matter how gruesome or painful it may be.

Her foot shifted closer to the drop. The roaring of the rapids behind her suddenly a comfort.

"Come on little princess," snarled the one-eyed man, latching an arrow to his bowstring and pulling it back. "What will it be?"

Goddesses, she didn't have a choice. She would take her own life before she let these men capture her.

Before she could react on her decision the one-eyed man aimed his bow and let loose his arrow.

Startled, Zelda was jerked backwards by the force of the impalement, and slipped, her feet flying out from under her.

Angry hollers followed her as she fell, streams of long chestnut colored hair whisking around her face.

She closed her eyes and gave herself to the mercy of the rapids.

xxXxx

Brackish water had filled her lungs and her chest gave a great upheave, purging them of liquid.

Zelda coughed and coughed. She turned over on her side and coughed again. Her airway burned like the searing of a hot iron as enough water was finally expelled that she was able to gulp in air, throat aching and sore.

Exhausted, she crawled further onto the soil and lay still, too numb for movement.

She was on land, was the first thought to enter her subconscious. She had survived. If not impaled by the rocks in the river, she'd been certain she would have drowned. And the arrow… She'd been shot. But she couldn't feel where. All she felt was an aching heaviness and the burn in her chest.

After a time, whereupon the fire in her throat had diminished to a feeble smolder, she attempted to get up, only to groan and flop back down as every muscle in her body loudly protested. Everything was so cold, she could hardly move.

Clenching her fists with effort, she dauntlessly pried her eyes open and was granted a hazy vision of the landscape. The world a jumble of blurred streaks of grey.

Her system was failing. She was rapidly being pulled back to the realm of unconsciousness.

The last thing she remembered as her mind went blank was the shuffling of foliage and the huff of warm breaths against her skin.

xxXxx

It was night when she awoke next.

Zelda groaned and shifted about, confused to find herself buried beneath a generous pile of leaves.

She sat up, the mound of leaves tumbling around to collect at her waist. She gasped as her whole body screamed in one long cry of pain. It felt as if she'd been pummeled by a moblin club again and again, over and over until she was one massive bruise. And her shoulder burned like fire. What had happened?

Blearily she scanned her surroundings, rubbing her temples in bemusement. What in Hyrule…? Where was she? Where were her guards? How had she…

In a flood of memories the events of the past few hours rushed back to her. Zelda stared blankly into the darkness and blinked, newly developed tears running down her cheeks.

A hand came to her mouth and she quavered. Oh Goddesses! Almighty Goddesses, Why?!

Cries bubbled up from her throat, and Zelda was helpless to stop them. Trembling, she pulled up her legs and wrapped her arms around herself. Burying her head into her knees, she cried heart wrenching sobs.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. Something like this should never had happened to her.

She had been en route from Castle Town to Minish to return to the university she'd been attending after a brief break spent at home. Thirty guards had been her escort, and with their numbers and their great acuity for battle she'd felt safe travelling with them. But then it had all gone wrong. The men on watch that night had been taken out swiftly, unable to warn the rest of her entourage of the imminent danger. And then everything had devolved into absolute mayhem. Nine of her guard had betrayed their own. Imposters. They had turned on the other men protecting her. Then came the brigands, a vicious lot whose battle cries shot tremors down her spine. One of the guards still loyal to her had managed to reach her tent to warn her and had died trying to sneak her away.

The skirmish had been swift and deadly. A massacre. Her guards had been taken by surprise. Survival was impossible. All of her men… dead for her sake. For some paltry sum of money.

Her shoulders trembled. The tears cascading down her face soaked her damp nightdress.

All of them gone. She was completely alone now. What was to become of her?

She was lost and by herself in a woodland that was as dangerous as the men who were after her. She was wounded, her strength had long given out, and she was burdened by fear and despair.

Survival wasn't possible on her own. She was Hyrule's princess. Others took care of her. She could be independent on the occasional instance she put her mind to it, but not like this. She'd been living with luxuries all her life. It had been her right as royalty. To be denied them now served to expound how truly helpless she was.

An inner self-loathing manifested at that realization. Princess of the land, yet useless for anything but looking pretty at parties. She'd been loved and doted on, but that amounted to nothing here. Here she'd stay and here she'd perish. Her father would forever live in bereavement, wondering what had happened to his dear cherished daughter.

Her breath then hitched.

Oh Goddesses, her father! How would he react to learning of her attack? He wouldn't be able to take it. Not with his heart problems!

Her sobs began anew and Zelda buried herself in the feeling of despair. The feeling of her throbbing shoulder and the aches of her tender body were forgotten in her misery.

The trod of cushioned paws skulked close, but Zelda was too immersed in the sea of her rampant emotions to take notice of anything around her. Not until a twig snapped and the owner of those paws snuffed.

Gasping in surprise, her head shot up, eyes wide as they tried to pierce the perilous darkness. Her melancholy was shoved aside as terror returned full force.

Had those men found her?

She whimpered at her lack of foresight. It had been foolish to remain idle for so long. She should have been up and away as soon as she'd regained her mobility. She needed to find a village and get back… get back to the castle.

Her eyes darted to her left as a shadow suddenly prowled into being. Large with calculated movements. It sleeked closer, a low growl rumbling deep in its throat.

Zelda shot to her feet, legs sore and quavering, but anxiousness forced her to ignore their weakness.

The shadow stopped, and Zelda saw in horror two glowing eyes narrow at her from the darkness.

A maw opened, two rows of pointed white teeth were bared at her as the creature snarled.

Without thinking, Zelda turned tail and once again was pelting through trees and bracken, desperation-fueled adrenaline giving her limbs a sudden surge of strength.

Any moment she expected to hear the thundering of a limber body chasing through the woods after her, breaths raw and coarse, saliva building as the beast tasted her scent and grew hungered by it. Urgently, Zelda compelled her legs to carry her faster, whimpering as her muscles protested the exertion.

Zelda groaned aloud as a fallen tree blocked her path, the trunk so wide she wouldn't be able to jump it.

Clear thought was not with her today, for instead of heading another direction and finding a quicker way of escape, she rushed up to the log and wasted valuable time clambering over it.

As she hefted herself up and swung around to the other side her leg was snagged by one of the broken branches and tore a long scratch down her calf. Crying out in pain, Zelda tumbled the rest of the way down, palms scrapping against dirt and forest debris.

After a moment she sat up and made to get to her feet before collapsing against the log, wracked with uncontrollable sobs.

It was useless. She wasn't meant to survive. The harsh wilderness was too formidable an opponent. Why fight? It was evident. Death was coming for her either way. Why run and delay it with the vain desire to live? She'd endured enough.

Trembling with self-directed grief, she curled her body in a tight ball against the fallen trunk and closed her eyes, wrapping filthy dirt-smeared arms around her to preserve her last bit of heat. Her night shift was still wet and the cool temperature was merciless against her frozen skin.

She wept hard, subdued with resignation. Anguish flooded her at the realization she'd never get to see her father again, nor any of her friends. Her poor father would be devastated upon learning of the death of his daughter. His heart wouldn't be able to take it. She may as well have killed her father.

Hot breath puffed against the back of her head.

Nerves firing in terror, Zelda whipped around and froze in place when she saw slanted predatory eyes peering down at her like twin beacons, inches from her face.

The stress of the past few hours combined with her fright proved too much for her mind to handle. In an instant her body shut down as she fell into a dead faint.

xxXxx

Something was curled around her. Something that radiated warmth and tenderness.

She had been found.

She comforted herself with the knowledge that some of her guards – those loyal of her retinue - had survived. They'd found her and layered upon her heaps of fur to bring heat back into her ice-cold body. It filled her exhausted form with a muted sort of peace. It was like an absolution she had been deprived of for so very long.

Languoring in that peace, she pressed her face into the coarse furs, ignoring the part of her mind that blared warning signals in her head. The scent of pine and rain, like the residue of an old forest, wafted through her nose as awareness came to her then. Something wasn't right.

Reactively, she tensed up as her senses were reinstated one by one. With hesitation she opened her eyes, caution urging her to move slowly.

Grey fur met her vision. Grey fur and the rise of a heavy flank beneath her cheek.

Dread launched through her and she pushed away from the thing, backing up on her rear until her limbs seized fearfully when the sleeping beast roused.

A wolf peered at her, scrutinizing as it blinked with unyielding blue eyes. It remained where it was, lying down on its side, and made no move of aggression. Simply watching her.

Zelda was caught by its profound stare. Those blue eyes. They were unworldly. So Hylian. Despite her dire predicament, they drew from her a well of fascination.

Unconsciously she became less fearful as she perceived the beast's full mane of dark grey fur and the markings on its brow, reflected in the fraction of orange illumination from the rising sun. There was a design there, styled so purposefully it might have been painted on.

What sort of creature was this?

The wolf appeared to have had enough of their staring contest and hauled itself up to its feet before treading its way over to her.

Dread returned as the beast drew near, immobilizing her. She raised her arms over her head in feeble defense as she waited for the creature to attack. She imagined the sinking of claws as they reaped into flesh and the snap of powerful jaws as its incisors locked around her neck, and whimpered.

Instead she felt the queer brush of something moist against her injured forearm. She dared to open her eyes, widening them as the wolf tapped its nose against her again before giving a quick lick.

Tepidly, she lowered her arms, the call for self-preservation not as strong as it had been before.

The wolf blew a cloud of misty breath from its nose as its ears drooped. His tail as well was lowered, and somewhere in her mind from recollections of visiting the palace kennels as a child, she remembered that it was the canine sign of submission. That or it was trying to make itself look less threatening.

It padded around her, causing her to jolt. Her shoulder panged with a sharp sting of pain and she darted her hand to it. There. That was where she'd been shot. The arrow had hit her here… but it was gone. Somehow it had come loose. The bleeding had stopped too. Her wound was scabbed over, beneath a crusty splotch of dried red.

She tensed as the wolf's fur brushed against her cheek and could have sworn it rolled its eyes as it gave a huff and lay down beside her, tail wrapping snugly against her legs, resuming its earlier position of rest.

Zelda hadn't realized how cold she was until the wolf was again lending its vast supply of warmth to her shivering form. It lowered its head on its forepaws and proceeded to close its eyes, breathing softly. After a moment it lifted its head and looked right at her, as if asking her why she was not relaxing. Its eyes then chided her for not resting when she should.

Zelda couldn't relax even if she wanted to. Everything was too overwhelming. The sudden attack and mad rush to get to safety, falling into the river, the oddity of her current predicament… She just couldn't stand it.

To perplex her further, the wolf leaned in and gave her cheek a tentative lick.

She sucked in a harsh breath as it once again gave her that same intense stare.

Why was this happening? Why was she feeling soothed by a wild wolf? Wolves were vicious killers, man-eaters, the plague of livestock. The only praise she'd heard for them was in regards to the fine quality of their pelts. Nothing of the nobility she witnessed now.

Their eyes connected and it was as if he spoke to her through them. Saying: 'Sleep now. Nothing shall harm you. You are safe. I'll be right here by your side.'

Zelda was suddenly flooded with a torrent of emotion. It built up within her. Overflowing. Demanding liberation.

Without regard to the impulsivity of her actions, she flung her arms around the wolf, immersing frozen fingers into its thick mane. Clutching the beast as tightly as she could, she wept wretched sobs into its fur.

 _By your side…_

Finally, she felt safe.

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 **A/N:** **This plays with the idea that Zelda was raised as a coddled child with too few expectations and so she is entirely dependent on others and can't do anything for herself. Yeah, pretty different than my usual take, but it's a neat experiment.**

 **Hope everyone enjoyed!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the next part. Hope you enjoy!**

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 **Part II**

 **Protection**

The wolf, she'd discovered through unconventional means, was male.

It seemed the beast had no reserves with relieving itself right then and there in front of her. And Zelda, who was unused to being the direct witness of anything improper, had abruptly looked away, although not before catching a definitive glance at the extremities that gave the wolf its gender.

He finished up then padded over to stand beside her.

Zelda ran her fingers through the coarse fur of his mane before clasping her hand in it and walking alongside him. She didn't know where they were going, only that she was not quite ready to lose her unexpected companion yet.

Contrary to her depressed feelings, the dawn shone bright with color, radiating off of every frond and leaf of greenery in the dense woodland. It had all felt wild and intimidating last night, but curiously she found that under the direct kiss of sunlight she could consider the scenery rather charming. It no longer frightened her as before, but that also may have been because she was no longer alone, even if he was just a wolf and lacking the construct of a logical, assessing, Hylian mind.

It was curious though. The wolf didn't behave how she imagined a wolf was supposed to. She'd been prey to those men last night, and she'd have been easy prey for a feral wolf, yet he hadn't even salivated at the sight of such a simple target. She had expected to die. One way or the other, she hadn't anticipated living through the night. Why hadn't he eaten her? Why had he let her live?

Had he been tamed at one point and recognized Hylians as non-edibles? Perhaps he was some sort of guardian and was sent by the deities to lead her out of the forest. Or maybe, Zelda pondered with some amusement, he was taking her to his den, where she'd live as some sort of feral child.

She shook her head of the silly notions. Surely he was just a wolf. An unusual one to be true, and there was no point in considering anything different. It was not as if he could speak and verify her stipulations anyways.

She felt more comfortable touching him now. After deducing that this particular wolf was not a threat and having spent the night ensconced in his warmth, she rather felt she could trust he'd not turn on her. If there was one thing she'd learned about animals it was that they were true to being. If he'd wanted to devour her, he'd have done so in the beginning. Unlike Hylians, deception was beyond an animal's capacity.

They travelled for the better portion of the morning. Zelda, unused to walking so much, and definitely not barefooted and injured, set a slow pace so as to jar her sores as little as possible. The wolf walked alongside her patiently, firming her belief that he must have once been a pet to someone. He was far too well-disciplined to be a guardian or something other.

She tripped a number of times and constantly had to rest so that she could rub feeling back into her numb feet and massage her throbbing shoulder. The further the day progressed the more regular these rests occurred. She was surprised the wolf hadn't abandoned her out of irritation. Instead it seemed he had ample patience and abided by her whenever she decided to stop.

It was during one of these respites that she came across a winterberry bush. Although it was called winterberry, the berries actually began ripening mid-autumn and persisted until spring. At home they were frozen then served with a light frosting of sugary glaze poured into a bowl of steaming pudding. The mixture of hot and cold made the dessert all the more savory to the pallet.

Eating them plain, Zelda discovered, they were more bitter, but still very sweet. She ate enough to fill her empty stomach then sat on the bank of a brook that ran close by, still snacking on a handful of berries.

The wolf trotted past her to the clear cool waters and dipped his head down, tongue lapping against the surface. She watched as he lifted his muzzle and licked his lips then turned to regard her.

Zelda popped a berry in her mouth then picked up another to flick it at the wolf. Whereas any other animal of the canine breed would have snapped up the berry easily from the air, the wolf did little but eye her disinterestedly then amble away.

"You are quite the peculiar one," she said, watching his tail vanish between a set of trees and popping another berry in her mouth. But then maybe wolves were different than the other canines she'd had a chance to play with as a young girl.

Once she'd finished the last of the berries she rinsed the leftover juices off her hands then leaned over the brook to sate her thirst. She was not overly fond of the idea of drinking water like an animal, nor like the inhabitants of the town's lower districts, too poor to afford their own dishes, but her parched throat demanded it of her. So reigning in her pride, she dipped her hands in the frigid water and scooped it up to her mouth. She did this six more times before she was sated then rubbed her hands together to warm them up.

She flinched as the wind picked up, rushing through her thin shift without a second's consideration to her limited tolerance of the cold. For the hundredth time that day, she wished for a warm pelt like the wolf with which to protect herself from the elements.

The wolf made a guttural noise, something between a bark and a growl, and Zelda was reminded that they still had a ways to go to wherever they were headed and sitting idle was only wasting daylight. More and more she was confident that the wolf was taking her to his master or mistress. As long as it was someone who could help her, Zelda didn't mind in the least.

Indicating for her to follow, the wolf walked away a few steps and waited for her. Zelda went after him with more haste in her step. Now that her stomach was no longer whining for attention, she was vastly more energized and willing to push on.

They traveled on and soon Zelda lost track of time. The woodlands shifted and changed, not one plant like the other, not one area the same as the last, but all the same she was still surrounded by trees, and she still treaded on dirt and grass. It went on like this for hours. The forest extending for leagues ahead of her. She was afraid they were wandering in circles, but the wolf appeared to know where it was going, so she remained silent.

Splintered rays of a dimly glowing sun filtered through the thick canopy. As the sky became littered with heavy overcast that light further dwindled until everything was shrouded in faded hues.

Zelda picked her way through the undergrowth, trailing after her guide, who was keeping only a few steps ahead of her, ears erect and blue gaze watchful of anything that could sneak up on them. Certainly with his wolf senses he'd be able to smell anything out of the ordinary from leagues away and would be able to steer them well clear of it. He had an advantage that her personal guards hadn't, something that brought her immense comfort. Nothing would be able to sneak up on him. There'd be no surprise attacks.

Zelda walked in a tired daze, watching the ground beneath her battered feet. Every other step she winced as another cut was added to her soles or as her current cuts were further irritated. They hurt and bled and all she wanted to do was to lay down and not get up. But fear of forever being stuck in the forest kept her going. Fear of the brigands tracking her and finding her gave her the motivation to continue without complaint.

Staring at the ground, she could not see the wolf, but she trusted he'd alert her if she wandered the wrong direction. She purposefully kept to the grassy patches since they were softer on her feet, when all of the sudden the green carpet turned to brown planks.

She looked up to see a bridge. Wooden with swaying planks fastened together by thick coils of rope. It hovered high above a deep abyss that instantly spirited her away to brief flashbacks of her horrid fall into the river.

There was a bridge this time. With ropes to ensure a safety hold all the way across. But still she would not go over it.

The wolf trotted halfway across the bridge before stopping and looking over at her, giving a sharp bark.

Zelda shivered and sank to the floor, legs tucked beneath her as she anchored herself to one of the posts that secured the structure in place. A breeze passed through, swinging the bridge and wolf to and fro. Watching it made her dizzy.

The wolf barked at her again.

Zelda looked away and scoffed in feigned stubbornness when in actuality she was tremendously frightened.

He gave a snappish huff and Zelda sighed. "It is simple for you. But I've had dealings with heights recently that put me off ever associating with them again."

Better to avoid them at all cost from herein, she decided. They were simply too much of a hazard for her.

The clicking of claws on wood echoed over the chasm, and as expected, the puff of warm breath upon her cheek followed soon after. She met the eyes of her feral companion, and peered into the swirl of his blue irises, so like the crystalline waters of Lake Hylia.

Her resolve instantly faded and she gave in. "Very well. But please…stay by my side."

The wolf licked her nose, causing her to draw back and rub the wetness off with her wrist, then promptly turned back to the bridge, sending her a look over his slender shoulders as if to assure she wasn't going to flee in the opposite direction.

Resigning herself, Zelda took a deep breath and rose to her feet. The journey to the other side looked ostensibly perilous, but with the wolf next to her the entire time with her hands latched in his fur, she was sure she would make it.

She took meek steps at first, clutching tightly to the wolf's mane and feeling ridiculously like a timid lamb. But soon the pace the wolf was setting forced her to increase her own. She shuddered with each gust that passed through her clothing and held onto to the rope handrail whenever the bridge began to rock. She counted the planks one by one beneath her feet until there were no more to count and she stood on firm soil, alive and whole.

It was facetious but she'd though more about death these past two days than she had in her entire lifetime. Then again, she'd never been as close to death before.

The wolf gave a reassuring lick to her hand then moved steadily onward.

The scare had thoroughly dampened her morale and she wordlessly followed.

It wasn't long before they'd entered a small clearing with two paths. The one to the left led through a set of open gates to what appeared to be a glowing pool. However it was the one before her that snagged her interest.

Through the tangles of leaves was another man-made structure. A building of sorts.

Eyeing the wolf inquisitively to see which direction she was supposed to take, she was surprised to find him on his haunches simply observing her. He made no movement and gave no indication for her to decide by, so tepidly, Zelda started forward, heading down the path straight ahead.

It was yet another clearing, this one less dense. Zelda's eyes roved curiously over the yard where a thick tree sprouted from the ground. What seized her attention was the wooden dwelling built on top of it, like a cabin. A run down cabin, that was. Even from here she could see the place was uninhabited. Moss grew in droves over the roof, vines ran up the walls, one of the windows was on its hinges and a gaping hole was left where a door was supposed to be.

She walked up to the ladder that led up to the treehouse and placed a hand on one of the rungs. The wood immediately cracked and she pulled away, horrified to see that it was rotted.

She took a step back to get a better view of the house. Spotting the wolf from the corner of her eyes, she angled her head toward him and eyed him cynically.

"You do not intend for me to live here, do you?" she said full of skepticism and mild disgust. She'd never seen a dwelling so shabby and on the brink of collapse before.

When the wolf didn't respond – she was obviously beginning to lose her mind if she'd expected him to – she decided to take in the rest of the clearing, and spotted yet another path opposite the rotting tree house. Further beyond the path she could see more houses. An entire village. These ones were actually inhabited, she could tell by the smoke rising from the chimneys.

Her eyes brightened at the sight. They could help her. She could send word to her father and he'd deploy a whole contingent of soldiers for her and then…

But something deep within her gut cringed at the thought of entering that place. It was people that had chased her down and landed her in this predicament. What if those men were there? It was fairly secluded deep in the forest, and close to where she'd escaped. What if she foolishly walked in and they captured her.

A frowned tugged at her lips and she fell into deep contemplation. The wolf stared at her as she swerved around and headed back the way she'd come. She smiled when he padded along beside her, snuffing in that doggish way of his.

Maybe she could stay on the outskirts for a while. Besides, she couldn't go walking into a populated area underdressed as she was. It would be outlandish and entirely inappropriate. Even so, she'd have to find better clothing and shelter soon. Winter was upon them, and she did not fancy freezing to death.

She paused when she saw something she'd missed before. It was a signpost. The inscription was chipped and the words were faded, but she was able to make out one more clearly than the others.

"Link," she mused out loud, looking back at the treehouse. "Was this his house I wonder?"

Whoever he was, it was evident that he no longer lived there. Dead or moved on, she didn't care to know.

She returned to the first clearing and from there took the other path she had previously bypassed. It was enclosed by a wall of stone, where a small waterfall led into a pristine pool of glowing liquid. It was almost ethereal and she felt a flood of calm envelop her as soon as she stepped in the area.

It suddenly came to her, this must be a light spirit pool. One of the entities that protected Hyrule lived here, just like the pool she so often visited at Lake Hylia.

Without hesitance she pulled her shift above her head and deposited it neatly on the ground, then removed her undergarments and entered the spring. The water's soothing aura washed over her, not only cleansing her of the dirt and grime of her journey but also her fear and worries. Unlike the river or the brook water, the guardian's pool was warm, and it mollified the aches and pains she'd endured over the past few days.

She dunked her head and floated around. She didn't notice when her companion quietly ventured off nor when another lifeform arrived through the gates.

The feminine gasp shocked Zelda so much that she nearly went under. Zelda shot up, her eyes darting around to find the intruder.

A woman stood at the entrance to the glade, short blonde hair curled at the ends around her nape, a basket held under one arm, and her eyes rounded in surprise.

Filled with uncertainty, Zelda ducked down, water reaching her chin, and held her arms over her breasts in self-consciousness. Only her maids and future husband were ever allowed to see her like this. No ordinary peasant was ever supposed to glean a sight of a royal body. All at once she felt indignant, but she tamped it down.

The woman seemed to snap out of her shock at seeing her there and hobbled swiftly toward her, the swell of her pregnant belly making even walking seem more cumbersome.

"Goodness, where did you come from? We haven't had travellers around for weeks. It's almost winter and the paths are dangerous this time of year."

Without anything to say, Zelda remained silent. The woman did not look dangerous, and there was a warm glow around her that could not help but soften Zelda up to the woman.

"Oh my," said the woman upon coming close enough to see the multiple bruises and scratches that adorned her body, and sighting her dirty shift on the ground. "You're not lost, are you?" Her eyes softened with sympathetic kindness and Zelda drew back, once again on edge.

Where was the wolf? What should she do?

The woman smiled warmly. "My name is Uli. I live farther down the path in a village called Ordon." Her brows pinched as she scrutinized the ratty garment, but did not voice any assumptions she might have made. "That won't do. It's far too chilly to wear such thin clothing. Wait here and I'll bring you something better. I have some apples in my basket. You may have some of those if you're hungry."

And without further ado, Uli placed her basket next to Zelda's discarded shift then hustled out of the glade before Zelda could say anything in opposition.

Zelda's ears wilted in fretful anticipation, water dripping from her hair into her eyes. She swiped the wet tangles from her face and lagged in the deliciously warm water.

What should she do? Should she run? But the woman – Uli – had seemed so kind and motherly, even for a peasant. Maybe she should accept her offer of help. Hadn't it been the wolf that had brought her here in the first place? He must have known this location to be safe and maybe he knew the villagers of Ordon were safe too. But then the ridiculousness of the notion hit her. He was an animal. How could she have so easily trusted an animal to guide her? Had she been that desperate for companionship? But he had seemed more intelligent than normal animals. And whenever she was with him she felt safe and protected.

And so Zelda dawdled with her decision. Soon though, Uli came back and when she entered the glade Zelda noted that she was carrying a large bundle of fabric tied together with a length of twine. Uli undid the fastening and began unfolding the pieces of clothing.

"Let's get you dried off and I'll show you how to put these on," said Uli, busying herself with organizing the garments. She picked up a long strip of cloth and held it out for her. "Here, use this. What was your name again?"

Hesitantly, Zelda wadded to the shallow end of the water and took the towel graciously before wrapping it around her, shivering as the air touched moist skin, sending goosebumps trailing along her arms.

"I…I'd rather not say…" Zelda darted her gaze away lest Uli see the guilt in them. Uli was being so kind to her and she was too scared to even give out her name.

Uli looked at her for a long moment then smiled. "It's not very wise in these times to withhold your name in a country that breeds mistrust. If caught one can be sent to prison for deception. But that's not likely to happen here since were far away from the busier towns. I'll simply have to give you one." After Zelda had the undergarments on the woman started by throwing a woollen dress over Zelda's form as she pondered. "How about…Claire."

Zelda's eyebrows rose in curiosity. "Claire?" And what did she mean by 'a country that breeds mistrust'?

Uli pulled another layer atop the first and grabbed a sash to cinch around her waist. "It's short and simple, quite popular too, nothing extraordinary that would stand out, but I suppose I'm just not good at coming up with creative names." She beamed then offered Zelda a pair of socks and leather boots.

"No no, I'm not too fond of original names. Claire is perfect."

Perfect in that it could offer her some measure of safety to bear the guise of a common name. Her own name was too noticeable as it was usually reserved solely for the female royals of Hyrule. A peasant name was best in her situation. No matter how kind Uli was being, she did not fully trust her. Who knew what she'd do if she knew that it was Zelda Harkinian she was helping. Peasants were poor and so were partial to rupees. She might just as easily sell her off like those men had intended to do.

Lastly, Uli threw a large coat over Zelda's shoulders. It felt bulky and itched against her skin, but she'd hold her tongue and be grateful. It was better than what she'd been wearing before.

"Not hungry then?" said Uli, eyeing the untouched basket.

Zelda flushed when she realized she'd forgotten about the offer of food and hoped that the woman wouldn't take offense. Luckily Uli didn't seem to mind and picked up the basket, throwing the towel over the lid.

"Where are you headed to?"

Another flush flared over her face. The thing was, she didn't know exactly where she was going, and she couldn't just reveal that she'd been following a wild wolf, of all things. No matter. She needed to somehow get to Castle Town.

"There's supposed to be a harsh windstorm tonight," Uli went on, undaunted by the other girl's pause. "You can stay with me and then we'll see if my husband can escort you to your destination. He's a warrior and it's not wise for a woman to be travelling alone."

There was no arguing with that. Nevertheless, she felt uncomfortable at the notion of being around even more people, especially lower class men, who she'd discovered were quite vulgar and conniving. Not at all like the upper class gentlemen she was used to consorting with.

They left the glade, Zelda taking one last glance at the pool and silently thanking the light spirit before heading out after Uli. As they passed the second clearing on their way to the village Zelda couldn't help but question about the old treehouse.

"Uli. The person that lived here. What happened to them?"

The woman darted her gaze up at the broken down house then swiftly cast them forward. "It was Link's. He was like a son to me… but he disappeared two years ago. None of us have had the heart to touch the place since."

"What happened to him?" she asked again, out of curiosity.

Uli gave a forlorn sigh. "Nobody knows. He left one day saying that he was going to help a strange woman take back something that was stolen from her. After the task was done he returned…changed. He wasn't an enthusiastic teenager anymore. He was a grown man who had seen many things."

"Did he tell you about it?" inquired Zelda further, and perhaps a tad insensitively. She was obviously touching on a sore topic, but that didn't stop her inquisitiveness.

A troubled look formed on the older woman's face. "No. He wouldn't ever speak of his experiences. But the way he looked at everyone, with more depth and a hollowness in his eyes, I could tell he'd done things that he wished he hadn't. That may be why he didn't wish to tell us." Uli shook herself of the suddenly somber look that came over her. "He left soon after he'd returned to us, and has never been seen or heard of since… Here we are."

They came to the village sooner than Zelda had anticipated and at once she was greeted with the sight of multiple quaint wooden homes, divided by a stream in the center, which ended at a small lake. It was smaller than she'd thought it would be. It must not be that popular a place. It explained why she didn't recall the name Ordon from any of the maps her tutors had had her study. But surely she should have known of it if a light spirit's spring was so close by.

Some of the villagers outright stared at her as she walked by. Dressed in peasant clothes, hair ratty and tangled, she suddenly felt self-conscious and ducked her head, feeling immediately bitter for being forced to endure the unfamiliar feeling. She kept close to Uli, who smiled brightly to everyone they passed, speaking briefly to some and allaying their concerns over seeing a stranger in their midst.

"Ordon doesn't get too many visitors, so to see you here is very strange to them," said Uli, patting Zelda's arm reassuringly. "Just ignore them for now. They'll grow less suspicious of you in time."

Zelda gave a stiff smile in return and took in the small little town. "Yes… In time…" Time she had no intention of wasting attempting to earn the trust of a group of commoners.

She felt the compulsive need to reach to her side and sink her hand into a warm pelt of fur. She dearly wished the wolf hadn't abandoned her when it had.

Uli's home turned out to be a small thatched cottage at the edge of the village, right where the stream began. How anyone could bear living in such a small amount of space Zelda would forever wonder. Compared to the thousands of rooms and corridors in the castle, she was liable to go stir crazy in the small abode.

"I have the perfect thing to heal your injuries," said Uli, opening the door and motioning for her to enter.

In worried anxiousness, Zelda steeled herself and walked inside, wondering where life would lead her now.

xxXxx

A week was spent in Ordon, in which Zelda took the time to heal and to develop her next course of action. It was nice to be catered to once more. The lack of servants for the past little while had been truly unnerving and had emotionally and physically challenged her beyond the toughest exams at her university. She was not meant for a life of struggle, that was clear to her more than ever before. So she was appalled when on her third day in residence, Uli approached her with a basket of clothing and bar of soap.

"Be a dear and wash these for me, will you? My little babe is kicking and it's hard to bend down with all that activity."

Zelda wasn't used to taking orders and was about to reply in the firm negative when she saw the pain hidden behind Uli's eyes and the hand placed on her back, supporting it. Guilt gnawed at her and she stood from where she'd been sitting by the fire, wordlessly taking the basket of dirty laundry, slightly caught off guard by the weight of it.

Uli gave a relieved smile. "I'm sorry, but Rusl and Colin won't be back until late today, and these need to be washed for tomorrow."

Zelda averted her gaze bashfully, suddenly disgusted with her initial thoughts of refusal. "It's alright. You're pregnant. You should be resting, not overtaxing yourself."

She knew that when her friend Lanora had been with child it had become difficult for her to simply walk around. For the laboring class it must have be harder. Unlike Lanora who hadn't had to lift a finger, peasants couldn't simply stop work whenever they wanted to, so that left it difficult if there wasn't anyone present to help out.

Zelda figured she could do it, just this once.

Zelda strode outdoors to the stream and set to her task diligently as she'd seen the other village women do in the past few days. She chose a shirt first, something simple and plain, and dunked it in the water then retrieved her soap and scrubbed, brow steepened in focus.

Her fingers became wrinkled and her wrists were quickly starting to ache. She wasn't sure if she'd spread enough soap on or when the shirt could be considered sufficiently cleaned, so she kept on at it, just to be sure.

"Oh no, you can't do it that way. You're going to tear holes in it if you scrub too roughly. Dear Goddesses, Claire. One would think you'd never washed laundry before."

The woman's voice startled her and the soap slipped out of her hand into the water.

Zelda swallowed the lump in her throat and plunged her arm into the stream to retrieve it. The woman who'd spoken, who she'd met once and whose name she'd quite forgotten, came up and crouched down next to her then took the soap and shirt from her unsteady grip, brushing over Zelda's hand with calloused fingers.

"Here, like this." She began rubbing the soap up and down the shirt with extra care. For some reason Zelda felt horribly inadequate compared to the hardier woman.

"I'm Sera, by the way," said the woman conversationally, indicating for Zelda to start working on the other clothes. Zelda mutely took up another bar of soap and started on another shirt. "Uli told us how you got separated from your group and became lost. Has anything been done to find your friends?"

"I wrote a letter to be sent to my father," replied Zelda.

Rusl, Uli's husband, had raised his eyebrows when he'd seen the letter had been addressed to the castle, but had taken it without a word to deliver it to the next village which Uli reassured was larger and had a post office. Hopefully Rusl would only think she was an ordinary woman whose father was a servant who worked at the castle. She hadn't specifically written the king's name on the envelope, but with luck Shad would receive the letter first, as he did with all missives entering the castle, and would recognize her handwriting and send it to him anyways.

Sera grunted approvingly, not halting once in her chore. "Imagine that. Lost in the woods all by yourself. And with wolves and bulblins running amuck."

Zelda jolted at the mention of wolves, but hastily calmed herself. She meant other wolves. Ferocious and brutal ones who chased and hunted in packs. Not the gentle wolf who had guided her. He was truly a beast sent by the Goddesses.

She sighed softly. Given a week, maybe two, her father's soldiers would be here and they'd have her back at the castle in the king's loving embrace. She had but to wait.

For the time being, she thought it best not to divulge her true name or status. Word could not get out that she was here. The brigands were bound to be suspicious when they couldn't find a body and were liable to come looking for her.

As they continued working, Sera chatting incessantly the entire while, a gaggle of children strayed from the ranch across from them, laughing and jostling each other playfully. A young girl with vivid large eyes saw them and waved as she called out.

Sera tutted in wry amusement. "That's my daughter, Beth, hollering for me." She stood and idly wiped down her smock. "I'd better go see what she wants now. Heavens but it's difficult to please that child."

"Thank you for helping me," said Zelda, remembering her politeness before the woman could walk off. The woman may be a commoner, but that didn't excuse foregoing Zelda's good breeding. And a well-bred Hylian was always courteous to whoever they encountered, as long as it was deserved.

Sera sent her a beaming smile. "Anytime. If you need help with anything else, just let me know. I'm usually at my store so you can find me there."

With that, she left. Zelda watched her make her way over the small bridge to where the children were causing a ruckus and then berating them for being so wild.

Smiling to herself, she began her scrubbing again, this time much more gently.

By the time she was done Zelda was exhausted. Manual labor was not at all as pleasant as some people made it seem. She'd had difficult determining when the clothes were clean enough then had cramped her hands wringing them out only to find they hadn't been rinsed properly and had had to place them in the water again. Once rinsed she'd twisted them, extracting as much water as she could and causing blisters to form on her fingers, then had clumsily hung them up on the line.

She scrutinized her work once more - pegs stuck willy-nilly everywhere, since she'd had no clue how many were needed she'd been forced to use her own judgment - and went back to the house to find Uli and see if supper was ready.

xxXxx

It was a few days later that Zelda found herself sitting in the field watching the goats.

After discovering that she was a complete failure when it came to darning, knitting, and weaving baskets – heaven forbid she be required to cook anything – Uli had sent her to the ranch to help a man named Fado. Essentially she was supposed to fetch Fado if any of the goats escaped the pen.

The children had been by earlier and had roped the mysterious lady into playing a few games with them, but after a while she'd grown tired and they'd been called back to attend to their respective apprenticeships, leaving Zelda for the majority of the day in solitude.

It was nice, but lately it seemed as if she was alone far too often for her liking. She missed her friends at the castle. How they'd gossip together and string the men along. She also missed the courteousness of the gentlemen there. At home it would be inconceivable for her to do any task for herself. If not the servants, the men did it for her. Whether it was to retrieve a scarf that had blown away, or to order for a plate of cakes and some tea. She'd hardly had to ask for anything, and they'd always been intuitive to what she wanted. Here she'd been shocked when Uli had ordered her to fetch the dishes to set the table her first day here. She'd been embarrassed later on when she'd asked Colin, Uli's teenage son, to pick up a cup she'd dropped and he'd stared at her funnily and asked why she couldn't get it herself.

This was just too different for her. A complete culture shock. She didn't like it in the least.

A shadow fell over her then a young girl with a short pixie cut sat down on the turf next to her. She crossed her legs and leaned back on her hands, smiling.

It was Ilia, the mayor's daughter. Zelda had spoken to the girl only briefly the day after she'd arrived when she'd gone to get some parchment at the mayor's house for her letter. Like the rest of the villagers, Ilia was kind and very friendly.

"So any word back from your father yet?" asked Ilia, smiling cursorily at her.

It was a pointless question. Any letters the village received went to the mayor's house first and then were handed out. Ilia would be one of the first to know if word had arrived.

Instead of voicing her thoughts, Zelda replied to the question asked of her, "Not yet I'm afraid."

Ilia shrugged. "It usually takes a few weeks anyways with how far out our village is. Don't worry about it. It won't be long now." She began rocking and humming a small tune. "You must really love your father. If it was me, I'd be sending my letter to my beau."

Her ears perked with familiar interest at the start of gossip. "You have a beau?"

The girl wrinkled her nose. "Not yet. But there was someone I once knew who I'd have liked to have become my beau."

"Anyone from the village?" pressed Zelda, eager for conversation to wash away the loneliness.

"Well, he wasn't actually from the village, but he lived here for a while," responded Ilia, eyes dulling a fraction. "His name was Link. You've probably seen his house if you came from the west entrance."

Feeling contrite for bringing him up, Zelda gazed down and fiddled with a piece of grass. "I'm sorry. We can change the subject."

"Don't be sorry," retorted Ilia, hands fisting tightly, "He's a sore topic for most of us, but in the end he was a selfish bastard with trust issues. It's good that he's gone. He was turning into a neurotic lunatic and it was starting to affect the whole village."

Uli hadn't told her any of that. This Link character was certainly turning out quite the intriguing person for someone she had never met and probably never would.

The look of anger in the younger girl's eyes was so profound that Zelda almost flinched when she directed them at her. "So," asked Ilia, with a lively air, "Any romantic interests in your life?"

For the next hour Zelda was coerced into giving vague descriptions of all the men who she'd so much as briefly considered fancying, all the while covering up any detail that would lead to revealing her true station. Ilia wore a constant smile and laughed a time or two whenever Zelda described something particularly comical that her would-be suitors had come up with in order to woo her. It was difficult to downplay everything, but she managed. They then spoke of how far they'd each gone with a man, a topic that was all the rage among the ladies at court. Ilia, it turned out hadn't even kissed a boy directly on the mouth, the closest she'd gotten was the cheek, while Zelda had done some fondling in remote corners of the castle, but had always stopped it there.

By evening they were both giggly and pink from laughter as they made their way back to their homes. Ilia waved goodbye from her doorway then disappeared inside.

Feeling lighter than ever, Zelda crossed the stream and walked up to Uli and Rusl's house. Outside Colin had just finished stacking a pile of logs in the shed when he turned and saw her. He beamed a youthful smile and hefted his axe over his shoulder.

"Have a good day, Claire?"

It still rattled her whenever she was addressed by a name not her own. She smiled softly and nodded. "I did. Ilia was there to keep me company. We had great fun talking."

"I'm certain I wouldn't want to know what you two were talking about," Colin said easily, noting the pink in her cheeks.

Zelda smiled bashfully and looked away.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there to entertain you," said Colin. "It was a busy day today. Here, I just need to chop a few more logs then I'll be back for supper. Tell ma, would you?"

"I will," Zelda responded as Colin hurried off into the woods.

Brushing away a strand of grass that had stuck to her dress, Zelda stepped up to the door but paused at the sound of raised voices from within.

" _I'm telling you, no good will come from harboring that girl here."_

 _"Sera, I've already voiced my opinion on the matter. Claire can stay here for as long as she wants. She's a dear girl and clearly in need of our help. She wouldn't hurt anyone."_

 _"It's not her hurting anyone that I'm worried about. Just the other day I got a close look at her hands. They were smooth. I bet you she hasn't worked a day in her life. She's obviously a lady, probably a runaway one at that, and you're keeping her here in Ordon is a danger to us all?"_

 _"Sera-"_

 _"I've heard of girls who try to escape arranged marriages by fleeing. What if her family finds out where she is? What if our village is punished for providing safety to her?"_

 _"Sera! Enough! Do you hear yourself?"_

 _"Do you hear_ yourself _? I admit she's…charming, and she tries hard, but if we fall for her influence where will that leave us?"_

Silence pervaded.

Her stomach churning in a tight coil, Zelda backed away from the door and pivoted on her heel, striding off to some unknown destination.

How naïve of her. She'd forgotten than people were experts at deception. Kind to her to her face while speaking bitterly about her behind her back? It happened at court too. She should have expected it would happen elsewhere. To the villagers of Ordon she was a liability. Even Uli had no good use for her.

However, it had served to remind her of what was really at stake. Sera was right. Not her deductions about the reason for her escape, but about putting the village at risk. As long as she remained here there was a chance that the bandits would find her and harm the villagers for helping her.

Whether her father had received her missive or not, she had to leave. And maybe, if he'd already sent soldiers to her, she'd happen upon them on her way.

xxXxx

Zelda swore for each item she stole she'd reimburse them ten times their worth once she reached the castle. Guilt ate at her as she packed some dried meat, the crispy apples Uli had cooked the night before, and a water flash in Colin's pouch, then slung it over her shoulder.

She tip-toed lightly across the floorboards, listening to the silent breathing of her hosts from their rooms then exited out the door, grateful that Rusl kept the hinges well oiled. Turning to the brisk night, she pulled up the hood of the cloak she had borrowed– also Colin's, since she couldn't bear the thought of pilfering anymore of Uli's things – and retraced her steps down the path that had initially brought her to the village.

She trekked past the dilapidated treehouse, the spring where the light guardian slumbered, and hesitated when she came to the bridge. Casting aside her trepidation as folly, she hurried quickly across it and sighed when she reached the other side. She started to venture further into the woods before she slowed, her footsteps halting. She turned around, peering through the darkness in the direction of the village, to the glade where she had last seen the wolf.

She waited – hopefully – for a short moment before chiding herself and diligently continued on, venturing forth into the darkened woodland allowing a chance to dissuade herself.

The wolf had abandoned her once she had made it safely to the village. It probably thought that its task had been complete and so left back to wherever it had come from. It was idiocy that made her believe that he might come back to her. That she wouldn't be alone again.

The forest still frightened her. She was terrified beyond belief of the dangers that might befall her, but she wouldn't allow herself to return to the village now. She just couldn't allow them to become hurt because of her. And she was better prepared now to take care of herself. She had provisions and warm clothing, unlike before when she'd had nothing.

But then, why did she still feel just as bare?

In the darkness, her passage through the forest was slow-going. She was only able to see a few short feet before her and whatever she couldn't see made her wary. The forest was as alive at night as it was during the day, riddled with shadows, some of which flickered with movement every so often.

Zelda shrieked when an owl suddenly passed overhead and she had to place a hand above her chest to still her heart. Fingers fumbling, she withdrew Rusl's hunting knife and gripped it at her side, feeling remotely better with some form of defense at her disposal.

A breeze passed and carried with it a strange scent on the air. The wind stirred again and Zelda recognized the scent as something burning. Somewhere out here someone had lit a campfire. Odd, considering how late it was and that Uli herself had said barely anyone roamed these woods, especially at night.

Something landed on her cheek, light and fluttery. Zelda wiped it off and frowned as it smudged the tips of her fingers. The scent hit her again and she turned to find out where it was coming from, eyes widening as she saw the sky was lit up and the air was littered with falling substance. Ash? Why was there ash in the air? Unless…

Quick as a flash she turned back the way she had come and pelted toward the bridge. The sky was even more lit here, and a bright orange glowed above the tree tops. The cloud of ash became thicker and her heart heavier.

Horror clouded her mind as she dashed to the village, hoping against hope it was not what she suspected. Perhaps a coal had escaped its grate and caught fire on one of the houses and the villagers were quickly putting it out. Perhaps Fado had dropped his lantern in the barn and set it ablaze. Anything but…

In her haste she lost track of the path and somewhere between Link's house and the village she had wandered over to one of the ledges around the village and gazed down into a scene of horror.

Bandits, the very same ones from before – she recognized the man with the single eye – had rounded up the entire village and were holding them at one of the steep cliffs that made up the village's boundary. Two houses were burning, flames reaching high and lighting up the faces of all gathered, Mayor Bo's and Sera's.

Sera and Pergie were huddled with the children behind their husbands' quavering forms. To the right of them Colin had his arms around a kneeling Uli, and was daggers at the men. Bo, Fado and Ilia stood silently upright, expressions hard with severity, and Rusl stood at the forefront, blood gushing from a wound on his head and swaying slightly.

The ringleader of the bandits rode up. He was a stout figure with skewed hair and a thick untidy beard. He steered his mount in a line before the villagers like a general before his troops about to go into battle. But this man did it out of intimidation rather than motivation.

He pulled roughly on the reigns of his horse, forcing it to a stop then sneered at the group before him. "I'll say it again and Din's wrath be upon you if you don't answer nice and sharpish. Where be the girl? Where's the princess?!"

The children whimpered and cowered at his tone, their mother's faring no better, too scared to even speak. Ilia stepped forward, her small form a mass of rage.

"There's no princess here. As you can plainly see, everyone is standing before you." She swept her arm out to indicate to the others. "You've searched our entire village. There's nowhere we could be hiding her that you haven't already checked."

The leader pulled his lip back in a snarl, kicking his mount to advance upon her.

Zelda bent low in the bushes, frozen by the sight. There were far too many, the villagers were outnumbered three to one and that was counting those who couldn't fight.

What could she do?

Smirking, the leader stared smugly down from his horse at Ilia, who, although she stood proudly and resolute before him, was trembling ever so slightly.

The man sneered. "Ain't gonna come clean now are you? You know what happens to people who don't cooperate with us?"

Ilia leaned back in disgust as the man bent his face close to her.

"Better than what will happen to you when you're caught by the authorities," Ilia spat, hands clenching into fists.

The bandit's 'oohed' at her audacity and jeered. The leader did not seem to share in their amusement as his eyes flashed against the flames with cold menace.

"Ilia!" Rusl called, taking a stumbling step forward on a fractured leg, "Stand down!"

"This is no time to be stubborn," pleaded Mayor Bo, hands out entreatingly.

Ilia firmly ignored them and stared right into the brigand's leering eyes.

"You sure you don't know where she is?" the leader cajoled.

Hissing through her teeth, Ilia spat, "Positive!"

The leader tutted. "That won't do. I'll just have to do to you what we were going to do to her." He withdrew his blade, bloodlust gleaming in his eyes. He raised his sword high. "Kill the rest of them, but this one's mine."

The men cheered and Zelda's heartrate spiked. Without thinking she stood and burst from her hiding place in the bushes, stumbling down the ledge, a desperate cry tearing from her throat, "NOOO! LEAVE THEM!" she shouted, instantly drawing their attention. "I'm here."

There was a pause as astonishment tore through the ranks. The villagers all looked at her wide-eyed, while Rusl's narrowed. The bandit leader chuckled and kicked his mount in her direction, aiming a well-place boot to Ilia's chest while he was at it. Ilia went tumbling to the ground and immediately Bo was hovering over her.

Zelda couldn't help but tremble as the leader approached her. There was no running now. With him on horseback, she'd be captured in an instant. This was the end. Even so she held her ground. There were other lives at stake. If she could distract the filthy lot long enough – if she could somehow persuade them to leave the villagers alone…

The bandit pulled up his horse several meters away from her and grinned. "Well now, look who's not dressed in her nighty no more."

The men laughed as they began closing in on her, cutting off all escape routes. She was backed firmly against the cliff wall and short of climbing it, she had nowhere to go.

"You were sneaky falling into the river like that," jeered the leader before his lips pulled in an ugly snarl. "But we're tired of chasing after you. We got a job to do, and be it dead or alive, we're taking you in."

Zelda forced her limbs to move and raised her stolen knife. They laughed and sneered at her feeble form of protection, and inwardly Zelda sneered as well. What could she do against them with a mere knife? She was so weak compared to these men. She'd be dead in an instant, or more humiliatingly, restrained without so much as a decent scuffle. Yet still she kept her grip tight and her weapon securely in front of her.

All of the sudden one of the men gave a startled shout. Others followed suit, withdrawing blades and calling out curses. Zelda froze at the violent display of so many swords then shivered as a high-pitched sound rang through her ears.

An angry howl echoed throughout the glade, strident and forlorn. Then something dark leaped over her head, landing right in front of her. It glanced back at her and caught her eyes in his ice-blue irises then growled and faced forward.

The wolf launched itself. He took two bounds before leaping at the leader, jaws clamping on the startled man's arm and tearing him off him horse.

The horse reared, neighing frightfully before bolting. The leader screamed in pain, sword arm bleeding torrents of red. The wolf then latched its jaws over his throat and clamped down, silencing him instantly.

The rest of the bandits panicked. They must have seen something in the wolf that terrified them beyond words for most of them ran as soon as their leader had fallen, calling out shouts of 'demon'. Only a few stayed and drew their swords.

Zelda backed away, knife dropping as she fell against the cliff wall in a huddle, watching with round horrified eyes as the wolf, her guide and guardian, ripped into the men. She covered her face at their screams of pain and battle cries. One man had been killed so close that a splatter of blood hit her shoulder, soaking through her gown.

Animalistic growls thundered in the night. Furious and replete with the cry for blood. The wolf snarled and shredded. She could hear the sound of bones snapping, flesh tearing and men crying out.

Only when the last of them had fallen and no more sound was heard did she lower her arms, the scent of blood strong in her nose.

The wolf stood over the bleeding carcass of a mauled bandit and licked his jaws. He looked at her, muzzle smeared with red. Bodies of the dead bandits surrounded him and he stood victoriously among them. Neither his ears nor his tail lowered as he hopped off the dead body and approached her, both erect and bold. Her eyes connected with swirling blue and she was lost in their depths.

It was as if he was saying, 'This is what I am. Accept it.'

Gradually, her trembling lessened and she stood, fingers outstretched toward him.

A hand snatched her wrist and she was suddenly jerked back.

"What are you doing, Claire? Are you insane?!" shot Colin, leveling stone cold eyes at the wolf. "That's a wild beast. You saw the way it killed those men. It wasn't even looking for food. It attacked them without cause."

"Only rabid animals act like that," cautioned Rusl, sitting down to rest his wounded leg, the arms of his wife wrapped around him. "Don't go near it."

"There's no foam at the mouth though," called Jaggle, aiming a pitchfork fearfully at the beast.

"That's a demon, that is," said Pergie, voice hitched in distress. "Those demonic eyes reveal its true self. You saw the way they glowed red when it killed those men. It's vicious and evil."

Zelda, however, did not see him as demonic. When she looked at him, gazed deep within his startling blue eyes, she saw…protection.

In justified fury, she tore her arm away. Colin looked taken aback and tentatively lowered his hand as he perceived her anger.

"He killed _for me,_ " Zelda vented, body trembling, enraged. "He did it to protect me. He's no demon!"

The villagers all looked stunned at her defense of the wolf. She didn't want to see them. She purposefully avoided the gazes of Ilia, Colin and Rusl, and especially Uli as she gathered up the knife she had dropped and went over to the wolf.

The wolf eyed her with keen intelligence, something regular animals did not possess. Could they not see the otherworldliness of this creature? He was much more than a savage animal.

The wolf circled her then stood beside her, pushing his flank against her hip. He angled his head over his shoulders and waited.

She was confused at first but then she understood and placed her hands delicately on the ridge of his back. Clasping securely, she swung her leg over his back, dress distending as she sat astride him.

Zelda took one last look at the astonished faces of the villagers before the wolf dashed into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**So sleepy. Here's the next chappie for you. Thanks for all who reviewed, faved and followed! I decided to keep this seven chapters as I'd initially planned it (and because it's a zelink week fic) so everything's going to be really fast paced and rushed.**

 **Going to respond to reviews and such later. 'G'night Zzzzz**

* * *

 **Part III**

 **Scars**

Zelda poured over Rusl's map, the flickering light of the fire illuminating her face, giving emphasis to the lines of her brows, furrowed in concentration. She scoped out the area where she assumed she and her companion resided, and attempted to figure out how best to proceed.

It had been two days since they'd set out from Ordon, following parallel to the road while keeping well hidden in the forest. She didn't want to chance coming across any survivors of the bandit group, and neither was she intent on running into other travelers. One look at her wolf companion and they'd react the same way the Ordonians had. And separating from her wolf for any amount of time was the last thing she wanted to do.

Evidently though, it appeared that she was going to have to.

As they neared the end of autumn the days were becoming shorter, and the air more frigid. The wolf was naturally equipped to take on the elements. She was not. Eventually his warmth would not be enough, and they wouldn't always be able to find shelter like they had this night. When the snows started falling she'd be entirely exposed.

Zelda sighed and set the map aside, resting tired eyes. She had only limited experience deciphering maps, but from what she gathered from her limited knowledge, it would take about a week to reach home. And that was not accounting for potential weather pitfalls and other delays.

Currently she was planning her route to the nearest town. If all went accordingly she'd be able to travel during the day with her wolf and she could stop in residential areas and locate an inn to spend the night at. With the small purse of rupees she'd pilfered from Colin – another thing she vowed she'd pay back tenfold – she could last until she reached home.

In addition it was vital she find some proper food. Used to opulent dishes and extravagant feasts, she found that she had little tolerance for a diet of berries and roots, a complaint she'd voiced endlessly to her wolf, who she swore rolled his eyes at her more than once in return. He'd made a few noble attempts to provide for her, but his form of nutrition was gutted game, which he brought to her raw and oozing blood and other juices.

The very sight of the dead animals he'd offered her like tithes had turned her stomach in harrowing ways. Not only was she at a loss as to how to prepare and cook the raw meat –she'd had enough trouble figuring out how to start a fire with the flint she'd packed - she hadn't wanted to so much as touch it. Petty perhaps, but as far as survival went she'd endured a lot thus far.

Languidly, she shifted and reclined on her side against the wolf, who lay curled up behind her. Rolling up the map, she packed it away then lay back, closing her eyes as she snuggled her face into his mane.

How she'd lived without having a pet before was beyond her. The mere presence of her animal companion was comforting. It was as if he erased all sorrows from her and gave off nothing but tranquility.

Outside their cozy little cave the rain poured harder, beating ferociously against the world beyond.

Deciding to call it a night, Zelda closed her eyes and allowed the soothing tempo to lull her to sleep.

xxXxx

Zelda took a deep breath and idly fixed the hood of her coat so that it covered more of her pale visage.

Anxiously, she looked up at the gates that represented the point of entrance to Krane. It was yet another town she'd never been to and had no knowledge of.

Eyes fixated on the imposing structure, Zelda felt a smidgeon of intimidation, something she'd never felt before. Maybe it was because she wasn't surrounded by an entourage of nobles and guards, or perhaps it was because of the daring of her undertaking. Never before would she have possessed the gumption to wander anywhere without an escort, and the experience was proving as terrifying as it was exciting. For the first time in her life she felt independent, if only moderately. She still had her protector.

As if on cue, the wolf whined and licked her hand. Zelda rubbed behind his ear reassuringly. Crouched in the trees, they were still a few yards away from the town.

He was anxious. She could see it in his eyes and body language. Being this close to a place with so many people was putting him on edge.

Cupping his narrow mussel, she crouched in front of him, bending to eye level. "Be a good boy and wait out here for me," she said, feeling that he understood exactly what was being told to him. She shrugged off that re-emerging sensation of otherworldliness and continued, "I'll be back in the morning."

She straightened her form and then because it felt like it was needed, she pointed a finger at him and said firmly, "Stay!"

The wolf cocked his head and gave a snort of dislike, but sat on his haunches and did nothing when Zelda tentatively drew away, continuously glancing over her shoulder to make certain he had listened.

When she reached the road and he still had not made a move, Zelda quickly hastened her steps and headed toward the gates, entering with nervousness.

Even at the late hour the town was full of activity and people wandering around. Zelda hurried down the road, hood up and head bowed, trying to blend in as much as possible while not appearing too suspicious.

The darkness had eaten away the last vestiges of illuminance from the setting sun when she at last located a decent inn and awkwardly handled the booking of a room and exchange of money.

She put away her purse and fleetingly smiled. If any of the council found out about her handling her own rupees most would die of massive heart attacks. One never knew where a rupee had been, or what grimy fingers had come in contact with it. Carrying her own money and sullying her fingers thus was deplorable in their eyes. But they were not here to reprimand her, and the excitement of dabbling into something taboo was completely worth it.

A meal was also provided for her and soon she was sitting by herself at a table in the far corner of the common room. Throughout her dinner she kept her eyes on her plate, avoiding any eye contact and trying to appear as uninteresting as possible.

It was a new experience, dining in a public establishment. An experience she found she was not wholly fond of.

The common room was crowded and loud, for one. A particular rowdy bunch were immersed in a game of cards. The woman threw down her hand, grin plastered over her victorious face as those around her hollered and cheered while the losers groaned at their loss. Zelda shrank back as an inebriated man stumbled past her table on his way across the room to fetch some more beer. Another man was cursing loudly in his sailor's dialect as he told a story to his two other companions. In another area a group of women giggled, eyeing the crowd with a predator's gleam, gazes lingering on more than a few of the better looking men.

The atmosphere unnerved her and she tried to finish her meal as quickly as possible. Was this how the common folk lived? Such lack of refinery. No wonder her father had never let her step foot in any of the lower districts. People here were too uncouth. A mere glance at someone could set them off and start a brawl. All the men and women were hard bodied and crass. It made her realize how delicate and meek she was in comparison. She was a princess and had been raised with sophistication. She didn't belong in a place like this and it made her feel extremely dissociated.

The only thing stopping her from handing in her room key and striding out the door was the fact that it was dark out and she didn't know where any of the more reputed inns were located. Not to mention the funds that Colin had unwillingly loaned her wouldn't last if she were to splurge on comforts for the rest of her journey. She'd never handled money herself, but she did understand the fundamentals of budgeting. Already tonight had made a sizable dent in her pocket. Any place for society's wealthiest was bound to cost a great deal more. Unless if she told them who she really was. A risk she would not take. Not until she was safe at home with the protection of her father and his legion of knights.

Looking around the room, she gave an abject sigh. Politics, laws, etiquette, theology, logic and mathematics, philosophy, and science, all things that she excelled at. Yet what use were they to her here? For these simple everyday matters, things that most people did with little thought to, she was horribly inadequate. She couldn't even rent a room without bumbling over how to do it and earning queer stares from the landlord.

Another sigh. More than ever she yearned for her easy life at the castle.

A man bumped into her table, rattling the dishes and knocking the other chair over. He sent her a snide look then walked off without a single offer of apology.

Gah! She hated this place!

Placing her fork down with unnecessary force, she was about to rise from her chair and go to bed when another man came over. Deftly, he picked up the chair, righting it on all four legs then sat calmly at the table opposite to her.

Lips quirked from beneath his hood and Zelda froze, thinking the worst. Had he caught a glimpse of her face and recognized her and was subtly taunting her? Was he one of the bandits who had escaped from Ordon, come to finish her off? He wouldn't dare do anything to her here, surrounded by so many people, would he?

Her limbs seized and froze her to the chair as numerous scenarios ran through her head.

She gave a flinch when the man pulled back his hood and raised his gaze to her and she was suddenly caught in the vortex of a pair of stunning blue irises.

For a moment she was enthralled. They were calm yet fierce at the same time, soft yet jaded. How was it that his eyes reflected so much. It was controversial. It was unsettling.

Zelda was so riveted that she nearly jumped in her seat when his voice pierced her senses.

"There was no place else to sit," the man said in explanation, voice rough and hoarse. He coughed into his fist to clear his throat then leaned back in his chair, shutting his eyes.

Slowly the pounding in her heart died down and Zelda recalled why his presence put her on edge. She didn't yet know if he was a danger to her or not. Looking around the room she determined that he hadn't been lying. The inn was packed and frankly she was surprised she'd been left alone at her table for so long.

Fiddling with her silverware, she remained silent. Her interactions with people didn't extend farther than the nobility and the few peasants during her brief stay at Ordon. She was at a loss as to how to conduct herself and was afraid it would be considered rude to just ignore the man and leave. Goddesses, she should be worried about her safety but instead was intent on propriety. She was simply too well bred, that had to be it. Even to a potential killer it was ingrained in her to show courtesy. She saw how those other women around the common room shoved away the men that were too pushy, although most bore playful grins as they did it. Why couldn't she do that? It was yet another reason to curse her sheltered lifestyle.

His eyes peeked open then and he slid them over to her. Zelda was once again captivated by his gaze. He blinked then sat up straight. Folding his arms, he leaned forward and set his elbows on the table.

"Do you drink?"

The question caught her off guard and she stumbled to reply. "O-only wine," she answered, hands fisted tightly in her lap.

The man gazed at her levelly, his blue irises roving over her. "A lady then?" He then indicated with a jerk of his chin. "Are you going to eat that?"

Her eyes landed on her plate, still harboring a half-eaten potato and some stew. Wordlessly, she shoved the dish to his side of the table and giving a short nod, the man took her fork and devoured the meal as if he expecting it to be his last.

Zelda took that instance to properly study the stranger. He was tall and well-built. Lithe but with a broad upper body. His hair was a rugged mess of brownish-gold tendrils, overgrown and unkempt, and his ears were pointed, identifying him as Hylian. His clothes were worn and looked as if they'd been haphazardly thrown on. If she had to guess she'd estimate that he was about her age, perhaps younger, although the shallow scruff of beard on his chin made him look older than his facial features suggested.

The plate was cleared in short order and he set down the fork, wiping his mouth with a kerchief before once again scrutinizing her.

Zelda shifted uneasily under the weight of his stare. There was an intensity in it that she didn't like. Something was off about this man. He was far too focused. Far too alert. Even as he trained his eyes on her his attention seemed to be jumping around the room, ears swiveling to follow each sound.

With a sudden motion that had her jolting, he flicked his hand up and called out, "Server, some drinks for this table." In that same instance he turned to her. "You keen on some spirits?"

Zelda wrinkled her nose in consternation. "I told you I don't drink."

"No," replied the man evenly. "You said you only drink wine. Wine's an alcohol, so you must drink."

Unused to being talked back to in any way, Zelda scowled and withheld a harsh rebuke. "Who are you anyways?" she demanded instead.

There was no way he could be one of those bandits. He was far too outlandish for that. She pegged him as someone who took the world by stride. He appeared quite laidback and didn't emit the same sense of hostility as the brigands. Only silent regard.

A rather disquieting regard as his eyes didn't stray from her for one moment.

"Link," he said finally after a long pause. At last tearing his daunting stare away from her to slide over towards the hearth. "I was called… am…called Link."

Zelda was struck by a wave of surprise. That name… She'd only heard stories of that name, and though not notorious or acclaimed, she grew excited anyways.

"Link?" she said animatedly, perched on the edge of her seat. "Are you from Ordon?"

"I'm from nowhere," he said stiffly, grabbing a mug of ale right as a server set it down at their table. The server left and Link took a small gulp, sighing in relief at the burning taste. "I roam as I like. No dedications, and no ties."

She saw right through him, however. He was the same Link that Uli had spoken of fondly and Ilia had lamented bitterly about. He must be. What a startling coincidence that she'd happened upon him right after leaving Ordon.

"And you," he inclined his head, much like a feline, Zelda deduced. "What's your name?"

"Zz-" she started then hastily corrected herself. "I am Claire."

He mutely observed her. Again it gave her the sudden urge to shift around in discomfort. At length he tipped his head in greeting. "An interesting name."

"It's completely normal," she shot defensively, before biting her tongue.

Scornfully, she chided herself. Becoming agitated like that could give off the wrong impression. She was acting far too oddly as it was if he'd easily guessed she was highborn. How many others in the room had deduced that?

At Link's silence as he drank his beer, Zelda decided to prattle on, covering her slip up, "Ilia's upset with you."

He chuckled wryly behind the rim of his mug. Setting it down, he ran a hand through his unruly locks of hair and gave a wistful smile. "I bet she is." He looked to her inquisitively. "You met her in Ordon then?"

Zelda hesitated then gave a short nod of assent. "Yes. I – I was there. Passing through. A few days ago." He didn't seem to notice her awkward pauses, or if he did he didn't care to interpret them.

Smoothly he pushed the second cup of alcohol toward her and made a hand motion for her to drink it. "It will keep you warm," he said, casting his gaze awkwardly to the side.

With a tentative grip, Zelda took the mug and held it up to her lips. She grimaced when she caught a whiff of it. "What's it called again?"

"Ale," replied Link succinctly, downing a large gulp of it from his own mug. He didn't necessarily look to be enjoying it, but he wasn't spewing it out either.

She frowned down at the liquid. "I've never had this before."

Link shrugged and exclaimed, "Neither have I." He took another swig.

Zelda tipped the mug slightly and took a taste. It was bitter and all manner of other foul things that offended her severely sensitive tastebuds, and she immediately plunked it back down on the table, determined never to let anything this atrocious so much as touch the tip of her tongue ever again.

"I met Uli too while I was in Ordon," said Zelda, deciding by talking she needn't be obliged to drink. "She told me about you."

"Really?" said Link idly, leaning his cheek on his palm. His expression was one of nonchalance yet his ears pricked clearly upward.

Zelda smiled, more comfortable now that they had a topic of discussion instead of just blatantly staring at the other. Someone a tender-hearted woman like Uli spoke well of had to be at least decent.

Her eyes gleamed as she went on, "She said that you were an intelligent boy as a youth, and also quite mischievous."

A tiny fragment of a smile pried his mouth upward as he smirked with evident amusement. "There are things I've done that she'll never let me live down." He let out a woeful sigh. "No matter how much I beg her."

"Things like what?" urged Zelda, hands clasping her cup tighter, ears pointing forward.

Link smirked and diverted, "Nothing that I'd willingly reveal to anyone. The fewer people who know of my less than dignified moments, the better."

With great amusement, and with enormous strength of will, Zelda decided to leave off, much to the dismay of her growing interest. "Very well," she said, sitting back in her chair. "Then tell me about why you left Ordon."

The abrupt change in his demeanor left Zelda contemplating her choice of words. All of a sudden his shoulders tensed, back straightened and eyes narrowed.

His gaze was steely as eyed her untowardly. "Pardon?"

Zelda ignored the hitch in his voice and pried further, "From what Uli's told me, you left your village to assist a woman to reclaim some stolen affairs. But what made you leave afterwards when you returned? I've been eager to know for a while, yet no one in Ordon could give me an answer."

It was the perfect intrigue. Her love of books did not only consist of subjects of study, but also encompassed stories and an adoration for all types of lore and legends from the simplest myths to the most profound sagas.

It was the gossipy, nosy part of her now that was in command, and it wasn't about to let up.

Link frowned slightly in displeasure, ears flicking as the group playing cards across the room let out a disruptive cheer. "Nothing that I'd willingly burden anyone with," he said, and turned in his seat, leaving it at that.

But his vagueness by no means assuaged her curiosity. "An undertaking worthy of legend then? Pray tell," she plied, beguiled by the mystery.

Even if his reasoning did turn out to be something minor she'd still be content because at least she'd know. And perhaps, when she returned to Ordon to reimburse the village for all their assistance, she could tell Ilia and Uli his reasoning too.

"It is not something I wish to discuss," he said, a flint of fire in his icy blue gaze that spoke of finality.

She frowned displeased. She wasn't accustomed to being denied anything if it was something she wanted. "Well? Are you going to make me wait all night for an answer? Tell me now, and make it interesting."

Perhaps it was her authoritative tone or her snooty persistence, but whatever it was it caused Link's entire being to darken as if the atmosphere itself had become a black cloud of vice.

His eyes narrowed into slits so small they were like twin streaks of glowing blue. "You want to make my suffering a source of your entertainment?"

He was diverting and it was irritating her. Scoffing haughtily, she drawled, "You seem to think very highly of your 'suffering'. Pray, what does a peasant have to suffer from other than manual labor and hard work? I'd have imagined you would be quite used to it by now."

Since he already knew she was highborn she didn't feel the need to avoid any indication that she was what she was. Zelda fixed her hood and crossed her arms, head tilting with anticipation toward Link.

She gave a small gasp when she finally noticed his hardened stare, devoid of emotion. She recoiled when all at once he took on an angry sneer.

"Don't," Link hissed. "Don't trivialize things you know nothing about," he spat through clenched teeth. "You have no idea what I've been through."

Zelda drew back further into her seat, her zeal abruptly stifled as she wilted under the vehemence of his glare.

Link gave a sickened growl and went on, "But then again it's not like people like you are familiar with sympathy. What do you know of suffering? You, living in your high and mighty manors and castles while the rest of us experience loss and anguish for your gain."

Now that was uncalled for. If he had seen what she'd been through the last few days he wouldn't think so critically of her.

"I know plenty of suffering?!" she hissed in outraged offense, anger suppressing any form of underlying fear she might have felt.

What did she know of suffering? The hypocrite! He knew nothing of all she'd endured?! For the past few days she'd been on the run from men who wished her dead. She'd been scared and alone, covered in scratches and bruises, she'd even been shot by an arrow, and he claimed she did not suffer!

Rather than reveal all that, however, she forcefully settled with an ambiguous response, "I have suffered more than you could imagine. I know of fear. I know what it is to feel loss and pain. To be alone with no one to depend on." Water pricked at her eyes, unbidden. She wanted her wolf. She wished she was outside the village walls, huddled safely in his warm fur. She felt so lost without him.

She'd expected Link's expression to soften in chastised guilt in reaction. For him to apologize and speak his concerns for her. Instead he graced her with a vile sneer, his rugged features making him appear more aggressive than ever.

"Is that what it takes to conquer your kind?" he demanded, voice slick with hurtful mocking. "Strip away your comforts and leave you wallowing in your own pitiful helplessness. Unable to do anything for yourself."

"It's more than that!" hissed Zelda in response.

"What?" spat Link in a hushed whisper. "What could you have possibly 'endured'? Live the life of us lower beings, then you might endure something."

"You cad!" Zelda hissed sharply, hurt boiling through her tone. "You vile heartless cad. Yes, I have been torn from my comforts, but for someone who has known nothing but security can you blame me for being frightened? As anyone would be in unfamiliar circumstances. Especially if one is also being hunted-"

Her mouth snapped shut, eyes rounding at the information she'd let slip. With a small measure of uncertainty, she shifted her gaze to Link to see that his probing eyes had narrowed and the hardened edge to his jaw had tensed.

"And are you? Being hunted?"

She fiddled with her hands, flexing and relaxing them in her lap, a nervous habit she'd had to quell when around her tutors. In the end she emitted a small sigh and shook her head. "I was. Then something happened and I believe they're gone but…I don't know…"

He gave her a long stare and Zelda wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor to escape it. Then she remembered that she was a princess. She was royalty, the blood of gods surged through her veins. Why was she letting herself become intimidated by this…this peasant?!

"Your scars," he said quietly, ponderingly. "They're so shallow."

Zelda blinked. Her massive teal eyes widening further. "Excuse me?"

Without saying anything, Link placed his arm across the tabletop, stretched toward her and pulled up his sleeve. The worn frayed threads of the fabric deterred her eyes for a moment before they slid downward and alighted upon his skin.

Her breath hitched at the sight.

Scars lacerated the flesh all up and down his arm. Criss-crossing in a gruesome ensemble of horrific tales of the blades that had created them. They stood out among his tan skin as pale streaks, skin slightly raised in rigid formations. One gruesome looking lesion spread from his elbow to underneath his rolled up sleeve, while a ring of red surrounded his wrist like a permanent bruise.

She swallowed, tongue heavy in her mouth, and stared, not knowing what to say.

"I'm…I'm so sorry," she murmured after a while. What a hypocrite she was. Directing her fury at him for not knowing her backstory when she didn't even know his.

She couldn't help but stare at them. Those gruesome scars.

Abruptly the sleeve was shoved down and Link stood up. "These scars are what's preventing me from returning to Ordon," he intoned lethally. He gathered his cloak around him and slung his hood up. "I wish you safe travels. Goodnight, ma'am."

With that he turned and strode out the door.

Zelda hadn't realized she was holding her breath until he had gone. It was as if the air had become fresh in his absence. It took another quarter hour to recover her bearings then she pushed up from the table and headed toward her rented room.

Her thoughts were restless as she lay in bed that night atop a cold lumpy mattress. For hours her mind was plagued by the horrid vision of those scars. And only from one limb! Who knew how many more he carried. One thing had been clear to her though, those scars were not natural. They were not simply wounds inflicted during battle.

They were the remnants of torture.

xxXxx

When she arrived back at the enclosure where she'd left the wolf she was relieved to see him relaxed among the ferns waiting for her. His ears perked when he saw her and he stood then trotted up to her, tail wagging joyfully.

Zelda bent down in relief to pet him, hands running through his thick mane in a reassuring manner. His absence had been a puncture on her soul and she was overjoyed to be with her protector again.

"See, that wasn't so difficult now," she muttered, to him as much as to herself.

She gave a wavering smile and they resumed their journey, continuing alongside the road. They skirted around the town she had just exited and ventured northward.

Morning fog clung to the air, making it difficult to see far ahead. Zelda relied mostly on her wolf to keep their direction since her vision was impeded and she wasn't in the state of mind to focus anyways. Her gaze was distant as she stared down at the too big boots she wore as they navigated the forest soil.

Last night's conversation with Link was bothering her, and she couldn't get the image of his scars out of her head. Had Link really been tortured? No wonder he'd been so snappish towards her. Compared to him, she might as well be on holiday. Yet still, he hadn't the right to be that harsh. He hadn't heard her full story, and she hadn't been about to divulge it to him. He didn't know who she was, nor did he know the stakes involved if the wrong person discovered she was the princess and used her as those bandits had been intending to. What was one measly man's fate compared to that of a kingdom?

She shook her head of her thoughts. She shouldn't dwell on it. She hadn't seen him when she'd left Krane– not that she'd been hoping to run into him anyways – and she'd probably never see him again. It was a fine coincidence that she'd encountered him, a jest by the Goddesses, but he was gone now and that was that. Their fates would never cross again, and she was fine with it. To associate, even for an instance, with such a jaded man left a foul taste in her mouth.

But…then she remembered the depth of his eyes, and the youth shining through his rugged features. He was young, yet his face had been worn with the strain of a man aged several years.

What had happened to him? Had it occurred during the task he'd undertaken assisting that noblewoman? Why hadn't the woman hired the aid of mercenaries or gone to the authorities? Why did she have to choose him, a young country boy?

 _Stop! Stop thinking about him!_ she mentally scolded herself.

He was gone. She was done with him and chances of encountering him again were nil.

With that thought in mind she walked on with a new aplomb, yet in the back of her mind that image of those ice blue eyes still haunted her.

A few hours into their trek and Zelda stopped in the face of an obstruction too great for her.

Zelda stared up the steep rocky incline that jutted in their path, towering formidably high above her. There was no definite path upward and from what she could determine, it stretched far out on either side. It would prove to be an arduous detour if she wanted to go around. The only other option was the road, and Zelda wasn't positive she wanted to risk that route quite yet.

The wolf bounded up a few ledges with great leaps, strong hind legs springing him high. He stopped on a relatively flat tier of rock and peered down at her, giving a sharp bark.

Zelda's face blanked before she turned on her heal and strode off.

She'd find another way. Under no circumstance was she about to climb that. It would tear her to ribbons with cuts and bruises. She wasn't about to endure that sort of physical abuse.

She jerked to a stop when something yanked on the hem of her dress. Whipping her head around she glared as the wolf snorted and pulled her back again with his jaws, her dress gripped in his teeth.

Zelda raised both eyebrows at him. "You cannot be serious? Do I look like a fiercesome adventuress? There is no possible way that I'll be able to scale that, nor am I willing to try."

She grabbed a fistful of the fabric and yanked it out of the wolf's mouth. The wolf released without a fuss, but gave her a scowling look.

"We'll find another way," she assuage, waving her hand in a dismissive gesture.

She meandered toward a shallow brook they had crossed a little ways back. It ran south through the forest and Zelda wondered fleetingly if it connected to the small lake in Ordon.

She sat down at its edge and gathered up her skirts. She then pried her worn leather shoes off and hovered her feet above the water. They had covered miles since leaving Ordon. Most of her journey had been astride the wolf's back but she hadn't wanted to tire him out by forcing him to carry her indefinitely, so had walked alongside him part of the way. Because of that her feet were still sore and covered with blisters.

Her maids would faint at the sight. Zelda herself gave a wince at them, seeing the skin rubbed raw in some areas and bleeding in others. Delicately, she dipped them in the cold water and let it numb them.

Her wolf slipped up beside her and lay down, apparently done yapping at her for the moment. She leaned against his flank and indulged in a small respite. It was not only her feet, but the rest of her that ached as well. Her legs felt as if they were entire limbs of torn muscles, her cheeks were noticeably slimming, and so was the rest of her. If her old nanny could see her now, she'd say she looked half-starved. She felt worn and tired.

Something rustled the bushes a few yards away and the wolf's head rose, sniffing out the intruder. A forest hare hopped into view and the wolf's ears flicked.

"Down boy," Zelda said smiling, and patted him between the ears. She frowned when he looked at her with inquisitive merriment. "I don't think so. I'm not _that_ hungry," she said, even as her stomach growled with an audible whine.

If he thought to hunt for her again he'd be vastly disappointed. The thought of raw meat touching her pallet made her insides squirm. But if it were for himself, then by all means.

"You go on," she nudged him, smiling softly. "Just don't kill it where I can see."

Without hesitation, the wolf got to its feet and ambled into the trees behind them, going to circle around to sneak up behind the hare. Zelda watched as the hare nibbled on some grass then sprang away further into the foliage. A second later the wolf was bounding after it.

She lay down on the grass and pulled her feet out of the water intending to let them dry before putting her shoes back on. Huddling beneath her coat, she curled into a ball, eyes heavy and tired.

Now that she wasn't doing any exercise the cold was making a swift return and it prickled at any skin left exposed. Yet despite the frigid weather, Zelda found herself slowly drifting off anyways.

xxXxx

Something roused her from her sleep. A murmuring, almost like a buzz. Languidly as wakefulness invigorated her, she recognized those murmurings as voices. Deep and brusque, and most importantly, they were nearby.

At once she was up on her feet, cringing as she belatedly realized she had yet to put her shoes on. Her feet were cold and numb, but that didn't prevent her from sticking them harshly in her boots and scurrying for a place to hide.

There were five voices that she could distinguish, all distinctly male.

It only fueled her fear. The closer they came the faster her heart pounded.

Where was her wolf? Why had he not returned and woken her after he finished hunting?

A sense of dread filled her at the realization that she was completely on her own. If these men turned out to be less than lawful then she'd be at their mercy if they found her.

The voices were right outside the clearing. Without any other resort, Zelda ducked down in the shrubs next to a great looming oak tree and burrowed against its trunk, covered by the bushes surrounding it.

Not a second later the men stepped into the area, emerging from the trees. Her eyes dashed to the weapons fastened at their waists and slung across their backs, before flitting across their rugged features and leery gazes.

One of the group, a brawny bear of a man, came up and stood exactly above the spot where Zelda had just been sleeping. He crouched low and fingered a bent blade of grass thoughtfully.

"She was here alright," he observed, nodding his head knowingly with self-importance. "About two hours ago, I reckon." The man stood, stretching his limbs and studied his surroundings. "I'd say she's gone northeast. There's no way a fancy broad like her can top that ridge. And to the west's the river. Yup, northeast it be."

"You stinking arse," griped another man, shorter and rat-faced. He skulked up to the tall man and butted his shoulder hard. "You ain't no tracker. That was Rem's area of expertise."

The bear man rubbed his shoulder, face crumpling. "Alright alright, no need to get fancy worded."

"If Ivan is right though it means we still have some catching up to do," input another man, shouldering a deadly looking crossbow. "If or not he's right, northeast is the sure way she'd be heading. Fledgeton's not far away. If we send a bird we could message the others to meet us there and cut her off."

"Tell them to be careful too," said the bear man, giving a shudder. "She's got that wolf with her. I heard tales of women like her. Crafty witches who can bewitch wild animals to do their bidding. I tell you, it ain't right or normal."

"Sucking out a princess' soul and eating it ain't right or normal either. But that's what the client wants so that's what we're going to get him," said the rat man, face twisted in a snide grin. "Besides, anything that pays good money is nothing I'm opposed to."

"It just ain't right," repeated the bear man, frowning at the ground.

The rat man scowled. "Look here, you're either going to help us or heave off. That broad is as good as ours once we reach Fledgeton. Like cornering a keaton in its den. Think of all the rupees that will fill your pockets. Enough to get that wife of yours some pretty things, ain't it."

Frown deepening, the bear man grunted then nodded in assent.

The rat man grinned vilely and motioned to the rest of the group. "Come on. Not long now before we're all rich men."

Zelda watched frozen as they left the clearing as quickly as they'd entered it. She hadn't realized she was trembling until a good ten minutes after they'd gone. Once fifteen more minutes had passed and she was confident they weren't coming back in a horrible jest to surprise her, she finally let out the sob she'd been holding.

How had it come to this? Why? Why couldn't they just leave her alone? Who would do this? Who would hire a filthy crew of brigands to hunt her down and murder her? Was it even possible for one's soul to be sucked out of their bodies? Who would want such a thing?

Limbs shaking, she crawled out of the bushes, her sobs now reduced to hiccups. She stood then leaned heavily against the scratchy bark of the oak tree.

Where was her protector? Where was her wolf? She needed him now more than ever.

One thing was certain though. Wolf or not, she couldn't remain here. What if they found out she hadn't gone the way they predicted and backtracked? She had no choice but to climb the ridge.

She took a few minutes to gather herself then made her way back to the cliff. Staring up at the tall slanted incline, she mustered her courage and began to climb.

It was the most frightening thing she'd ever had to do. She hadn't even been allowed to climb trees as a child, how could she ever expect to make it up a steep ridge with only narrow tiers of rocks for handholds and rest points? Yet she did it. Determination pushed her onward and once she reached the top she collapsed unabashedly in a tangle of exhausted limbs, worn from being applied in ways that were foreign to them.

She lay there quivering in relief for a time before the sound of padded footsteps alerted her. She looked up and saw the wolf striding into vision. She watched it give a startled look as he saw the state of her and ambled quickly to her side, his nose brushing her face.

Her ire increased. Had he been waiting for her here all this time? Wanting her to climb the ridge?

She was torn between screaming at her animal companion and throwing her arms around him to bury her face in his ruff. She chose the latter, body too exhausted to express anger, and sniffled into his fur.

He nosed her hair and emitted a dangerous growl, scenting the men who had come so close to her. This made her realize something.

She pulled back and met her teary eyes with his amazing blue. "You didn't know? You didn't know they were near?"

He gave a pitiful whine in reply.

She pressed her forehead into his mane and clung tightly to him. "Don't leave me again," she murmured quietly against him. "Don't ever leave me alone like that again."

He gave another sorrowful whine and nudged his nose against her cheek in apology. When she felt better, she stood and threaded her fingers through his fur, a silent conveyance of her forgiveness.

She wiped away the crusts of tears that had dried on her cheeks and sent him a warm smile. "Come, let us see why it was so important that you had me climb that blasted hill."

His tail wagged and he eagerly led on.

Although her body hurt more than ever, bruised and cut in a way that made her despise the thought of looking into a mirror, she continued her trek. A few more meters of walking and Zelda was given light to why the wolf had insisted they come this way.

A cabin stood alone in the woods. Ramshackle and abandoned, just like the treehouse in Ordon. It was overgrown with moss and lichen, but the door opened smoothly when she prodded it. Inside she was delighted to find a pile of fresh winterberries, and some cooked meat, albeit a little charred.

Without pondering as to where the meal had come from or who had prepared it, she knelt by the bench it was spread upon, the only usable piece of furniture in the hut, and dug in. After she finished eating, she found a mat and a pile of blankets in a chest and settled down for a well-deserved early night.

Trying not to cringe at the moth-eaten blankets as she drew them up to her neck, she patted the spot beside her and the wolf at once came and curled up next to her. She listened to the warm beat of the wolf's heart under her ear, comfort washing over her like soothing warmth. In an instant she was asleep.

xxXxx

The next day Zelda was forced to enter yet another village, this time to resupply. Her shoes had worn through and she needed to purchase a new pair in order to make her journey to Castle Town.

This village, she found, was a rather quaint place, although not as small as Ordon had been. It contained the basic shops every place needed, an inn, a brewing house, which was not necessary but she imagined the people here appreciated it all the same, and a small temple where they could worship the Goddesses.

Zelda walked out of the shoemaker's store in her new pair of boots and noticeably cringed at the weight of her purse, or rather, lack of it. Meager to begin with, it had dwindled down to less than a hundred rupees, and now that she'd had to take this detour to avoid those bandits, it had become even more scant than before. If she used the rest sparingly she should be able to make it the next few days without having to resort to sleeping in the wilderness. Otherwise…

It had begun to snow. Pulling her hood up, Zelda hustled down the street. The only inn was located in the eastern section of the village and even though it was still a good number of hours before dark, she booked a room and settled in the common area to eat a small supper. The next town would take at least a half a day to get to and she didn't relish spending a night out in the snow.

She smiled as she ate. If she continued the way she was heading she'd soon reach Kakariko, a place much like a second home to her. The shaman, Renado was a friend of her father's and most importantly someone she could trust implicitly. He'd be able to see her home safely.

She wondered if her father's men had reached Ordon yet, and what their reaction would be to find her gone. Had the king received her missive yet? He must have. It had been over a week.

No matter. She was on her way home now. She'd see her father again very soon.

She'd just finished off a watery stew when a thunk against the table made her leap in her chair. The server pushed the drink before her, mumbled something or another, then left. Curiously, Zelda pulled the cup closer, nose cringing when she saw what it was, face falling in recognition. It was that foul brew again. Ale it was called. When she'd asked for a warming drink she hadn't anticipated he would bring her this.

She planned to set aside the alcohol without touching it, however her insides were chilled and the temptation of warmness was too strong to resist.

With great hesitance, she took up the cup and carefully brought it to her lips. It was as revolting as the last mug of ale she'd had, but it left a tingly sensation that traveled down her throat and into her gut and she couldn't resist taking another sip, and another, despite the offensive taste.

"Woah there. If you keep drinking that fast you're going to get drunk."

She swiveled around to see the hooded form of Link. She outright scowled at him as he took the seat across from her, very much so like the other day. She disregarded him and went back to her drink, taking slower sips of the alcohol.

"Not that I don't think you can hold your liqueur or anything," he went on. "Goddess forbid you go making a fool of yourself."

As if the Goddesses didn't have a hand in placing him in her path yet again. No wonder thoughts of him had been plaguing her throughout her journey. It had all been warning that she was to encounter him again in the near future.

She pierced him with a heated glare. "What are you doing here?"

In truth, she was wary. Their last meeting hadn't been a wholly pleasant one, and she worried for his emotional state when he was around her. If he'd been reared at the castle such lack of control would have been beaten out of him long before he'd been weaned off his milk.

Evidently in the same mindset as her, his bright demeanor abruptly diminished. Lacing his fingers together, he set his elbows on the table, hands concealing his lower face as he sat there broodingly.

Again his eyes stood out to her, but she could not for the life of her place why they felt so familiar.

"I- I apologize. For my behavior the other day," he said, breaking his hands apart and running them through his hair anxiously, knocking his hood off in the process. "I'm…not used to being around people."

"You seem to be around them often enough," said Zelda pointedly.

Link fidgeted and flicked his ears. "Right. What I mean is I'm not used to interacting with them more than the normal courtesies."

"Very well then," responded Zelda, tersely gripping the tabletop with white-knuckled hands.

"The courtesies have been established. Good evening to you." Then she got up and purposefully strode out of the inn into the cold blustering snow outside.

She walked faster down the street when the telltale sounds of Link following he reached her.

"Wait!" he called out, sprinting after her. "I want to talk to you."

Zelda snapped back at him. "And why would I listen to anything you have to say? You're rude and you're vile, and dear heavens, don't you bathe ever?"

She saw him scowl before resolutely facing forward, stomping down the street in her new boots.

"I said I was sorry," Link entreated. "What else would you ask of me?"

Zelda stopped and whirled around, and quick reflexes on Link's part had him halting before their heads could knock into each other.

"For you not to be so insensitive," she said feeling that well of hurt rise up again just from thinking about all she'd been through. "Your personality speaks as if you believe the world should pity you, yet you show no pity to anyone else."

His eyes suddenly hardened in spite. "I don't need anyone's pity."

Her eyebrows gave a slight quirk upward. "Clearly you're asking for it. It's as if you resent everybody else for simply living."

"And what if I do," Link hissed, expelling a puff of mist. "What if I resent everyone for their lives of contentment? And you know what? Those I despise most of all are the ones who toss those lives away just to avoid little complications that arise."

So that's how it was. He was just like the Ordonian woman, Sera. Coming to conclusions without listing all the facts. "Whatever assumptions you've made of me you're wrong. I may be a lady, but I did not run to escape my problems. I was forced to flee to save my life."

From the blank look he was giving her she could tell that he didn't believe her. Not one bit.

Huffing in frustrated anger, she spun on her heels and swiftly started away, intending to leave him far behind.

"I do resent you," said Link, taking stride beside her, easily keeping up with her pace. "I feel a deep hatred for everyone around me. The Goddesses created the world to be an unfair place, and I have experienced the most of that unfairness. I used to wish the same upon everyone else. I'd resent their happiness and wish for them to bear the misery that I shoulder."

That was it. She was going to slap him. It would be well deserved!

"But…" he continued, voice solemn.

The depression in that single word made her reconsider before she'd even carried out her violence. Her heartstrings twanged at the despondent sound of it.

He looked at her sidelong, a meek sort of uncertainty that differentiated emphatically from the cold almost vacant stares he'd given her before just the night before.

"But I would not have anyone suffer what I have gone through. Not even for retribution. Not even for the shared understanding."

A silence hung between them. They had completely stopped walking by then. Snow fell all around them, gathering in clumps on the rooftops and the sides of the roads. People trod through it unheedingly as they went about their day, some casting curious glances at the pair blocking the middle of the street before sidestepping them and carrying on.

Zelda, ever susceptible to the harsh frigidness, shivered and crossed her arms in attempt to contain some warmth. Link settled an arm around her shoulders and led her back to the inn.

She made no move to stop him.

Once they were again ensconced in the relative warmth of the inn's common room, seated together on a couch facing the hearth, Zelda turned to Link, eyebrows pinched in a frown.

"What are you doing here anyways?" she accused. "Why did you seek me out?"

Link narrowed his eyes at the fire and shifted, unsettled. "We happened to be headed in the same direction. Similar destinations, that is all. And this town has only one inn so I hardly had any option to keep away from you."

"And yet you approached me."

He shrugged. "You were a familiar face. And I wanted to ask you more of Ordon."

He then looked directly at her, gaze unwavering. "Also, if we are speaking truths, what is your name? And not the false one you told me. Anyone who's on the run with any sense would know not to give out their birth names."

"I will say it when you have earned it," said Zelda snappishly, sinking into the couch and relishing in the heat of the fire. "For now I am Claire to you, just as I am to everyone else."

Link looked long at her then nodded. "Fair it is."

Tension evaporating with the course of their discussion, Zelda offered him her first genuine smile since knowing him. He simply stared back in that deep forlorn way of his.

The rest of the evening was spent talking about Ordon. Zelda gave a brief description of all the villagers she remembered and how they were doing. Link listened attentively and would snort or grumble at certain things she mentioned, especially regarding the children.

It was past midnight when everyone had gone to bed that they were finally forced out of the room so that the proprietor could close for the night.

They spoke softly as they headed up the stairs to their respective chambers. On the last landing before they separated, Link turned to her with a serious expression.

Zelda looked at him inquisitively.

He opened his mouth, words hesitating on his tongue, before finally he spoke. "Another thing," he started grimly, immediately catching her attention. "Don't go to Dovos tomorrow. When you get to the fork in the road, whatever you do, don't keep straight. Go right and head for Calin."

With that he spun and headed toward his room. Zelda remained on the landing for a while, contemplating his words. Shaking her head, she made her way to her own room, intent on some rest.

As she lay snuggled under her blankets Zelda mused over her interactions with Link and decided he wasn't as bad as she'd initially believed. The memory of his arm flashed through her mind and she winced, rolling over.

His scars… They kept bothering her. What was the story behind them?

What she wouldn't give to be able to heal them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part IV**

 **Comfort**

Vast whiteness stretched far before her. A field that would have otherwise been replete with long stalks of waving green grass was now layered in a blanket of snow with rolling mounds like that of a white dessert or a sea of ice.

Zelda was both elated and despaired at the sight. For one it meant she was that much closer to reaching home. The castle lay just beyond, nearly in the center of the massive field. A few more days. Just a few more days and she'd be home. But she despaired because now she was an easy target. They had left the forest and there was no cover to conceal her from her pursuers. She might as well have been a rabbit in her father's kennel.

An icy wind tore at her hair and whipped it around her head.

Worse, she found, was the cold. It seemed to seep cuttingly through her clothes now that she was out in the open. If she could wish for one thing guaranteed when she returned to the castle it would be to never feel cold again.

Bracing against the wolf's left flank, she determined there was nothing for it but to continue her journey with as much haste as she could induce from her half-frozen form. What she wouldn't give for a coat of fur like her wolf's. Thick and more capable to protect than the layers she wore.

This time there was no choice but to follow the road. Out here there was no point in hiding. The snow had stopped falling, one could easily follow her tracks, and there was no telling what pitfalls and crevices could be hidden beneath those white mounds. It was safest to stay on the path where her footsteps would mingle with the many others that had already been made earlier that morning. If she kept her head down and said nothing, no one should pay her any mind.

Her wolf, however, was far more conspicuous, but it seemed as though she had little need to worry anyways. His nose was as sharp as ever and whenever he picked up the scent of another traveller on the wind he'd give a bark and then dart off in the field, finding hiding spots in the most unlikely of places. Zelda would pass the other travelers with a curt 'good day', and then after a few leagues they'd be gone and the wolf would come bounding back to her.

Eventually they reached the impasse Link had spoken of and from there Zelda was stuck with indecision. She viewed the tall signpost abjectly. Someone had wiped off the snow covering the writing and she was able to clearly depict the words Dovos and Calin, the next towns. Should she heed Link's advice and go north, or continue on to Dovos, her previous destination.

Her brows furrowed. Kakariko was further west. She'd need to pass through Dovos to get there. What had Link meant when he'd told her to avoid it? And more importantly, could she trust him?

Withdrawing the map, Zelda perused the locations and determined that Calin was practically on a straight route to Castle Town. By heading to Kakariko it would take longer to reach home, but she'd be in the safety of those she trusted much sooner. Going north to Calin only meant she'd be traveling further by herself. Which was more worth it?

Puffing out a frustrated breath, she regarded her wolf, raising an eyebrow.

"So. Which is it then?" she asked, rolling up the map and tucking it away in her pack. "Should we go to Calin or do we make Kakariko our destination?"

The wolf raised his nose and sniffed the air. Then he snorted and trotted past her.

Zelda followed him with her gaze. "So even you think so. Alright then. Calin it is."

Against her better judgment, she turned right, following the past northward. At least taking this route would cut down her journey by a day and a half. Still, she'd have liked to be in good company as soon as possible. But she'd made it this far on her own.

Her eyes trailed the form of the wolf as she walked, watching him pad majestically in the snow. He didn't seem fascinated by the white substance like the dogs at home. Her father's hunting hounds often frolicked in it, finding vast amusement in the icy powder. Her wolf, not so much. But then it might be because he had no pack to play with.

A smile flitting across her face, Zelda bent and grabbed a fistful of snow and balled it in her hand. Rearing her arm back, she tossed it as hard as she could through the air. It landed inches away from the wolf, but managed to grab his attention. He gave her a bland stare and snuffed when she began piling another snowball in her hands. She was just about to toss it when he came bounding toward her.

She gave an undignified 'eep' as he leaped at her, forepaws landing against her front and pushing her down. Zelda fell off the road into a mountain of snow and giggled as she shoved the wolf away. He trod off and she was left breathless in a pile of powdery white.

Lazily she sat up. At the first sign of her reaching again to gather more snow he shot at her and jumped once more, knocking the air from her lungs.

She laughed and rubbed his scruff as he got off her and licked her cheek. But then his ears suddenly pricked up, and he lifted his head, sniffing.

Zelda became quiet and stilled, understanding enough to know that something was amiss.

He barked sharply and at once began digging into the mound of snow, shoving it onto her. When she tried to get up he growled and snapped at her, and she immediately laid back down, a tinge of fright coursing through her. He didn't stop until she was fully covered, then he dashed into the hole he had made, crudely covering it up.

Moments passed while Zelda lay unmoving buried in the snow. She kept her breath steady and quiet, trying not to shiver as wetness seeped into the collar of her dress.

Soon voices could be heard, as well as the trod of many footsteps.

From the sound of them as she eavesdropped on their conversation, they appeared to be simple fur traders, yet she waited anyways in anxiousness anticipation as they passed and their voices could no longer be heard.

A paw prodded at her through the snow and Zelda took that as a signal that she could emerge now.

She stood, dusting snow off her clothes and hair, abhorring the chill it brought to her.

She took in the wolf's serious stare and nodded in accordance.

"Very well. No more fooling around." It was a pity though. For once she hadn't minded her predicament quite as much. How bad could it be living with her pet wolf, roaming with an independence she'd never before had, for the rest of her life?

But there her traitorous thoughts were abruptly put to an end. She was princess of Hyrule. She had obligations and responsibilities that she could never hope to run from. It was a dreary thought and put her back on course.

"Let's go," she said, her stride heavy.

Silent as a poe, the wolf followed.

xxXxx

Zelda exited the shop with her package in her arms and made her way down the cobblestones under the soft snowfall. She sighed dejectedly at the light weight of her empty purse. She'd run out of money and could no longer afford to spend her nights in the comforts of an inn. She'd have to keep to the fields and rely on her wolf for warmth. Either that or huddle in some dark recess on some remote street like a beggar.

She mused dismally over the trajectory of her thoughts. Since when had planning her destination ever been something she'd have to take seriously? And actual budgeting and worrying about where to sleep? It was all strange to her. She hated it. She absolutely hated it.

The salted meat would keep her fed for the next few days, but she'd had to sacrifice her shelter because of it. She was getting far too thin as it was. Eating one meal a day wasn't enough to sustain her.

Idly she wondered which would come first, starvation or freezing to death.

It was with these dreary thoughts that she passed a couple on the street and stopped, ears perked as something they said in their mutterings caught her attention.

Casually she inched closer, pretending to view a display in a baker's window as she covertly listened in.

"-heartless. The lot of them! Why if I were a man of standing-"

"You'd be able to do nothing anyways," said the plump woman the man was talking to. Her face was pink from the cold and bore a withdrawn expression. "Dovos is gone. Nothing's left."

"So it's true," said another man, voice filled with horror. "Did anyone…"

"Some. Maybe about half the village," replied the woman bitterly. "But now they're all destitute. All those poor people."

The first man gave a hard growl. "Those filthy dogs!"

"Don't say such things," the woman hushed. "You don't know who'll hear you." She glanced around to check for any eavesdroppers.

Zelda pretended to be interested in a scrumptious looking baguette. The woman alighted her eyes on her briefly before turning back to her companions.

"It's not enough that Tarrow and Mallora have been burned to the ground as well, but now Dovos? Dovos had over twice the population as the others."

Zelda choked on a gasp as the first man intoned savagely, "And they don't give a hoot about all the lives they're ruining. Over a hundred people died yesterday, and over a hundred have lost their homes, their family, and jobs."

"Is there anything that can be done for Dovos?" asked the second man. "What of the Resistance? What are they doing?"

From the corner of her eye, Zelda saw the woman shake her head. "Everything's been torched. There's nothing left of Dovos but ash and rubble from what's been said. The only thing we can do is take in the survivors and help them get back on their feet."

"Hyrule see's many sorry days these times," snarled the first man. "If the king would only get off his sorry arse and do something-"

"Hush!" she woman hissed.

But Zelda had heard enough.

Darting down the road, clutching her package tightly to her chest, she ran, vision blurry through the buildup of accumulating tears. Down a winding side street she went until her feet could carry her no further and she slowed, heaving with each breath.

Dovos. That had been the village before Kakariko. Torched. Had bandits come to that village too and did the same as they'd done to Ordon? Was it all to find her?

Goddesses! She didn't know what to do? How could her father allow this? Why didn't he send soldiers to deal with those scum! So much death because of her…

She froze all of a sudden in horror as a terrible thought came to her.

Had…had Link known this was going to happen? Was that the reason he'd cautioned her away from Dovos? Because he knew the bandits would be attacking there?

But then that must mean…

It all made sense. His mysteriousness and why he would not return to Ordon. He had to be in league with them. Somehow he had to know what they'd been planning, that was the only explanation.

But then that left one open-ended question. Why'd he let her go? Why had he insisted she stay away from the bandits and come to Calin?

Zelda couldn't prevent it anymore as silent tears fell from her eyes. Slowly she knelt on the ground, hidden secluded in a narrow alleyway, she let her grief take hold.

Faces blurred in her vision. A conjuration of all those people who'd died because of her.

Her package fell to the ground as she buried her face in her hands.

She couldn't deal with this. She couldn't live with this guilt plaguing her conscious. Whoever had sent those men after her, whoever it was, was going to pay. She vowed justice would be brought down on all those involved. She was Hyrule's princess, daughter of the king, she would see it done, so mote it be.

Rising like a knight who had been blessed, she retrieved her package and stuffed it in her pack, wiping her face free of tears.

She winded down the alley, determined to find the main road so she could leave Calin.

Her thoughts took a darker turn as she mused, going over all the facts.

If Link proved to indeed be her enemy then she'd show him no mercy when it came to deciding his fate.

Sometime in her emotional rush she'd ended up farther into the town than she'd like. When she tried to backtrack she was dismayed when she couldn't recognize any of the streets or landmarks. After taking two wrong turns that left her even more anxious than before, she deduced that she was effectively lost.

She stood on the street corner, next to a frozen fountain, shifting restlessly. There was nothing for it but to ask for directions. It appeared she'd underestimated the complexity of the town.

The tinkle of a bell then shallow voices followed by the chime of laughter.

Zelda stopped, boots digging deep in the snow as the door to the tavern in front of her opened and two men emerged. What held her fancy about them was that they were in uniform. Soldiers directly from the castle. She could see the royal emblem emblazoned starkly on their tunics. Her father's men.

Oh Goddesses, it was over. Everything was over. All this hardship and living in peril. She missed her father so badly.

The taller man shifted a glance toward her then followed his partner down the road.

Zelda snapped out of her daze and forced her feet to move, hastening after them.

"Wait!" She huffed in effort to catch up. She could not lose them now. "Wait! Please wait!"

The pair paused and looked back at her.

Zelda stumbled up to them, out of breath. Hunger and cold was making her wearier than ever. The only relief came from knowing that the solution to all her problems stood right in front of her. Her father's men would know her. They'd take her home.

"Is something the matter, Miss?" asked the shorter of the two.

Miss? Oh, but of course. They wouldn't recognize her in these rags and with how gaunt she had become.

She smiled through a short bout of laughter as she caught her breath and beamed at them. "No. No, everything is perfectly fine now."

The men exchanged bland glances and the shorter one addressed her again, "Is there something we can assist you with?"

"Certainly," responded Zelda, her regular zeal returning to her. "If I may, I'd like you both to escort me back to Castle Town. My father will reward you most graciously for my safe return."

At that their expressions morphed to ones of bemusement. Zelda chuckled at the sight.

"But I understand I look strange, and because of that you can't identify me," she said, giddy with glee, before declaring, "I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule."

That earned her the reaction she was hoping for. Simultaneously their postures straightened, arms snapped to their sides as both bowed in reverence.

"Your highness! Apologies, we didn't know it was you," shot the taller man.

Zelda was bubbling inside as she waved them off. "Nonsense, I hadn't expected you to. Now please, take me to my father."

"Of course. At once, your highness," the other man said promptly. "Just allow us to retrieve our belongings and we'll depart right away."

Happily, Zelda accompanied them as they headed toward their current residence. At last the Goddesses smiled on her. First the wolf, now these soldiers. The great ones were indeed watching over her. Blessed by the almighty, just as she'd been told by her father multiple times.

She couldn't wait to see him. Her father must be fraught with worry for her. Most of all, she couldn't wait to be able to bathe properly, rather than scrubbing her skin under her clothes with a rag dipped in the icy water of creeks and streams. Just the thought of warm water touching her skin, easing all evidence of her trials from her form, made her sigh in bliss. It would be like stepping into nirvana.

Wandering behind the two soldiers, Zelda felt a lightness in her step. However, the longer they walked, the shadier the streets became. And filthier. More and more she saw beggars littering the sides of the road. People in dark clothes dashed about, some sending their crew dirty looks before moving on.

Zelda wilted and kept closer to the two soldiers.

Why had they entered the slums? This couldn't be where they'd been staying, could it?

Her suspicions reached their peak when they finally entered a remote alley, the walls so close on either side that if she were to spread her arms out she be able to touch them.

After passing some crates, before another turn in the winding alley, the soldiers stride came to a pause.

Zelda was just about to demand what was going on when the taller one abruptly rounded on her, grabbing her arm.

She shrieked in surprise as he pulled her up, nearly jerking her arm out of its socket as he pressed her close to him, head dipping into the hollow of her neck.

Zelda shivered as he breathed her in.

"You're a pretty one, aren't you?" he whispered hoarsely, sensually.

Ice trickled down her spine as his hand dipped low and she pushed against his chest. "Stop this! What are you doing?!"

The other man, the shorter one, had come up behind her, pressing his body against her back so that she was crushed between the two males. Trapped, helpless to escape.

"Do you know how many women have tried to pass off as the princess since she went missing?" said the taller man, his hands roaming in places that made her wriggle with discomfort. "You think someone as filthy as you could fool us, you mutt?"

"If it is money you're after we can give you a generous amount," murmured the shorter one. "All we ask is for something simple in exchange."

Her eyes bulged in horror as she realized their intentions and she fought harder against them. "Enough of this! Release me! I am your princess!"

"If that's how you want to do it, _princess_ ," sneered the taller man in amusement.

Zelda gasped when lips locked over the curve of her ear, then shrieked as the man in front of her took to the buttons on her coat, pulling them apart and ripping them off. He coat was thrown open and instantly his hands were on her chest, pinching and squeezing.

"No don't," she called weakly, gripping his arms and attempting to push them away. "Cease and desist!"

The man chuckled in mirth. "That's what they all say at first," he said before starting on her bodice.

She shrieked and fought, but whatever she did she was easily overpowered. Their strength and size was too much for her. She couldn't do anything.

She was flooded with a deep chilling sort of fear. She knew what was going to happen. Her fear was only intensified at knowing that these were soldiers, her father's men, who were assaulting her. They were supposed to be loyal. They were supposed to be the law keepers of Hyrule. Why were they doing this to her? Why couldn't she stop them?

"Stupid bint!" the tall man snarled when her palm slammed into his chin.

Her arms were abruptly grasped and forced behind her back. Zelda screamed when the man behind her bit her neck, enough to draw blood. He twisted her arms sharply in one large hand, bending them further than they were used to. His other hand made a trail to her thigh and was just gathering her skirts to pull them up when suddenly his entire presence vanished and cold air met her back.

A loud smack of something hard hitting the cobbles compelled her to twist her head around to look, but before she could glean anything of importance, her face was crushed into coarse fabric. The soldier kept a tight grip on her while nearly suffocating her against his chest.

"Who are you!" he shouted abruptly, chest rumbling against her cheek with the vibration of his voice as she struggled to breathe. "How dare you attack a soldier of the king!"

"How dare _you_ ," a calm voice replied, rough and familiar. It made tears of relief fall from her eyes.

Zelda's world suddenly tilted as she was tossed aside landing hard on the ground while gasping in breaths. The zing of steel sounded prompting her to push up to her knees and glance behind her. The remaining soldier had drawn his sword, ready to charge a figure in the shadows of the alley.

The steel glinted off his swirling blue eyes as Link stood unarmed before him, undaunted. His piercing blue eyes seemed to glow with furious intensity as they locked on the soldier, a burning vehemence in their depths.

In a flash he moved. The soldier was shocked as swift as lighting Link snatched his arm in a hold and bent it wrong at the elbow, snapping the limb clear in two and causing him to drop his sword. The man screamed in pain as Link shoved him down next to his rousing partner. The other man gave a Link a terrified stare before grabbing the screaming soldier and pulling him away down the alley.

Link then turned those severe eyes to her and Zelda shrank back, disconcerted by the bloodlust she saw in them.

In an instant she remembered that Link was as untrustworthy as those soldiers. Somehow, in some way, he had a hand in what happened at Dovos. It made her fear him all the more.

"Are you alright, Claire?" He approached her with steady strides.

Zelda shuffled back and raised a halting hand up. "Don't – don't come closer."

At once fire kindled behind his dark blue irises as they tapered into slits. "Where did they touch you?"

Zelda was confused. If he was really working with those bandits then why did he show concern for her? He should want her dead. It didn't make any sense.

Instead of directly answering, Zelda shot accusingly, "You knew. You knew what would happen in Dovos!"

He hesitated then resumed walking toward her. "Claire…"

"How can I trust you when you're in league with the ones that destroyed Dovos!" she snapped, hauling herself to her feet, using the wall as a support.

Link's face was awash with bewilderment. "In league with them? I would never stoop so low!"

"Then how did you know!" she shouted, tears running in rivulets down her cheeks. "You could have warned the townsfolk! You could have helped them!"

"There was nothing I could have done to prevent anything!" retorted Link.

First learning about what happened in Dovos, now this. Why did he blatantly lie to her? How could the Goddesses ever allow such horrible people to exist? How dare he! He'd tricked her. He'd fooled her into believing him to be genuine and sincere. Never would she be that naïve again. She'd learned her lesson. No one could be trusted.

At seeing his askance expression, she took a harrowing breath and went on, "You told me to come to Calin because you knew those bandits were going to raid Dovos. Tell me how you knew."

"Bandits?" exclaimed Link, bemused. "Claire, those were soldiers. The king's men attacked and raided Dovos."

The breath caught in her throat. Shock. That was all she could feel. Pulsing shock, rushing through her, sweeping her in a deluge of disbelief.

 _NO!_ she mentally hissed to herself. _Link's a liar. He's lying!_

"There was a coup d'etat," said Link, voice hollow and sad. "The mayor of Dovos had been overthrown by rebels. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before the king sent his men in to suppress them. But those men, as you've seen, are hardly decent. This is the third town that was devastated because of their lack of control of their bloodlust."

Bloodlust. Similar to the bloodlust she'd seen flaring in his eyes. Yet he hadn't killed the soldiers who'd attacked her. He'd let them go. Then she realized he'd released them to look after her. He hadn't wanted her to witness him killing, or to risk leaving her vulnerable for someone else to attack. Inside he must have been longing to pursue, but he quelled that urge to see to her needs.

She didn't doubt that if he'd been able to, he'd have hunted those men down and killed them without a thought for daring to touch her.

Why did he care so much? They barely knew each other. Why did she matter to him?

But if he hadn't-

Her hands flew to her mouth to suppress her chocked gasp. Her entire body trembled. She had almost been violated. If Link hadn't been there... oh Goddesses...

"Why? Why would they do such horrible things?" she cried, anguished.

Link's tone was steely as he responded. "That's what happens when men are left unrestrained, with no laws to govern them and with no fear of punishment for the atrocities they commit. They become swine, dirtier than the filthiest rat. No longer are they Hylian, but pigs who know nothing but to seek their own self-satisfaction. There are no consequences for the things they do, so they'll keep on doing it." His eyes glowered darkly in the shadows. "If I had it my way… they'd all be butchered…"

She shook her head, drawing away. "The king wouldn't have allowed it. He'd never have let them go so far."

"The king doesn't care," intoned Link sharply, now standing before her as she huddled against the wall of a wooden building. "The king lets them do as they will, so long as his direct orders are obeyed."

"His majesty is just and kind," insisted Zelda, tone rising with passion. "He looks after the people. It's because of him they live as they do now."

"Living in fear? Striving to pay unreasonably high taxes while also being able to put food on the table and keep their houses warm?" Link voiced darkly, compelling Zelda to raise watery eyes at him. "Is this how he looks after his people?! By dictatorship?"

Her bottom lip quavered and she shut her eyes firmly, shaking her head. "No! You're wrong! The king isn't like that!"

"Why do you defend him? What does the king mean to you?"

 _Her father. He was her loving father_. But Zelda could hardly voice that. Would he think her deluded as those two soldiers had, or would he hate her for being her father's child?

She pressed her palms to her eyes as she shook with sobs. Strong arms wound around her and she found she had no will to resist as Link wrapped her in his embrace, hugging her close so that her ear rested above his beating heart. Unlike the soldier's sickening touch, Link's was warm and comforting. His hand rubbed up along her back and Zelda felt herself calming at the sensation.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, pressing his cheek against her head.

He didn't elaborate what he was sorry for, but Zelda felt it was for a multitude of things.

Zelda hiccupped, hands fisting in his tunic. Her lips twitched upward as she took in his scent. Pine and forest. "I see you've bathed," she said, again inhaling his clean scent. "And groomed yourself."

Indeed where a rugged scruff had shadowed his cheeks and jaw he was now clean shaven, albeit with a few cuts.

"I didn't enjoy one second of it," said Link, chest rumbling with a chuckle. "I only did it so as not to offend a certain lady's senses."

"Hmm," Zelda murmured and closed her eyes, letting the very presence of him enfold her, relishing in his comfort.

Goddesses, she'd needed this. She'd needed this so much that the very act of receiving his comfort was causing her to tear up once more.

Her wolf companion had been a blessing, and he'd done for her more than she could ever repay him, but the simple touch of another Hylian, this one moment of affection was far more powerful than the company of an animal could ever be. In his hold she felt safe, she felt wanted, and cared for.

All too soon he pulled back and looked at her with gentle eyes. He took her hand and started leading her down the alley.

"Come. I know a place where we can stay and get something to eat."

Silently she followed.

Whatever was happening in Hyrule, whatever rebellion was rising, she'd find out why. This couldn't be the doing of her father. It just couldn't. It made no sense. But when she returned home they'd have a lot to discuss.

* * *

 **Hope you all enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Two more chapters after this one until this little novella comes to a close! There's some sappiness in this chapter ^^ and also I removed the smut scene because of fanfiction . net policy. If you want to read it you can visit my tumblr account at darcie1art . tumblr . com (remove the spaces). Just a warning though, it's fairly short and unedited :P**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Part V**

 **Warmth**

It started snowing heavily as they walked. Swirling flakes fell in droves over them, alighting on their hair and sticking to their clothes. A fierce gale tore through and Zelda was momentarily blinded as snow was swept into her face.

She felt the squeeze of Link's hand around hers, and what might have been the words 'Almost there,' spoken to her reassuringly. She squeezed tightly back and held an arm over her face.

By the time they reached their shelter her cheeks were stinging and her nose was effectively clogged up. She sniffled as they ducked beneath the stoop and Link rapped against the hard wood.

Not much later the clank of footsteps sounded and the door was swung open on rusty hinges.

A curious man looked at them from beyond the threshold. He smiled broadly when he saw Link.

"Link! Oh man, Ashei's been trying to contact you for weeks. Where have you been?" the man exclaimed, then beckoned them inside. "Come in, it's freezing out there."

Apparently though, he had not been anticipating additional company, for as Zelda stepped through the door into the warmth of the living room, the man's eyes rounded and all pleasantness departed from his face.

His eyes continuously darted from her to Link. "Er, um Link. Is she…?"

"She's safe," said Link, holding up a hand. "I swear it. We've had a hard journey, Coro. We need food and shelter."

At once the man named Coro snapped to attention, broad smile flashing across his face. "I'm on it!" he said, eager to please, before dashing to the small kitchen area and gathering up items for a meal.

Link led her further into the living room to a rickety looking couch near the hearth. Zelda sank into the cushion gratefully, not even caring that they were lumpy and bulging with stuffing in some places.

She looked up when she noticed Link had opted to remain standing, her eyes meeting his intense blue as he surveyed her.

"Are you alright, Claire?" he asked, his brows pinching ever so slightly downward. "You didn't answer before. Did those soldiers harm you?"

Zelda was taken by the lethalness in his voice. Again that thought persisted. If she hadn't been there and if he'd been able to freely go after those men. Link was a dangerous man, she realized. Still, his protectiveness made her heart warm.

"No, they did not. Not physically." At that moment she wanted to pull her legs up and hug them to her. She wanted to curl herself as small as possible and hide away from the world. "It you hadn't arrived when you did things would have been much worse."

She still had trouble believing it. She still thought that they must have been some sort of imposters. How could men like that be the law? How could her father allow them freedom when they acted as they did?

Scarred fingers touched her cheek and Zelda closed her eyes at the caress.

How indeed could she had thought that Link was anything but genuine. He was just like her wolf. Vicious looking on the outside, but gentle within.

His hand drew away as a steaming bowl was thrust in her face.

Coro grinned hesitantly at her and held out the stew in offer. "Eat up. You're freezing as it is, and the weather's only supposed to get worse."

With a quiet 'thank you', Zelda took the bowl and spoon and began to consume the meal.

Through lowered lashes she perceived Coro give a meaningful look at Link and subtly indicate for him to follow into another room. Link took the hint and left after him, leaving Zelda all to herself.

Zelda pretended to be undaunted by the gesture. It was apparent that for some reason or another Coro didn't trust her. He was probably conferring with Link over the matter. The two were obviously friends, or close acquaintances at least.

Patiently she waited, feasting on her meal with zeal until there was not a drop left. She became uneasy the longer they stayed in that room talking, so she got up from the couch and sat on the floor, closer to the warmth of the fire.

Idly she thought about her wolf. Was he doing alright? Would he be worried for her? She was supposed to pick up her provisions then return straight away to continue their trek, but with this delay it looked like she'd be staying here longer than she'd thought. She was grateful for the roof over her head, but all the same, she missed her companion.

It was not much later when Link emerged from the room, Coro close behind. Zelda tried not to look too interested as they spoke in hushed voices, before Coro grabbed a scarf and heavy cloak then left.

Link stared after him through the window then came over to join her in sitting on the floor. He sat with his knees bent, legs spread before him with his hands clinging around them.

At her silent questioning look, Link elucidated, "He's gone to visit some family. They had friends in Dovos, so he wants to make sure they're handling it alright."

Heart panging, she nodded and bit her bottom lip. Why did she still feel guilt? It was already established that it hadn't been the bandits. The attack had not been her fault. But…. Had her father really authorized such a thing? To repress a rebellion? But why would he enable the devastation of an innocent village?

Then another question hit her. "Why was there a rebellion?"

Link glanced at her sidelong and let out a shallow breath. "Is that within your realm of caring?"

"I care if it means the loss of lives," she answered back, irritated at his diversion. "A rebellion infers that the people are unhappy with the system of government. If they'd overtaken the mayor, surely it would encourage other towns to revolt against their own officials, which could eventually lead to a revolution against the royal house."

"I've already told you what he has done."

"That cannot be all," insisted Zelda, not willing to let up. "There has to be more to it than a petty tax increase."

"Petty?" said Link, stunned by her apathy. "He has left his people on the brink of starvation. Hyrule is merciless to everyone not high born. To them we are scum and not worth the resources. The king cares not about the affordability of housing and food, as long as he can milk us clean of rupees. Have you not felt the same as us since you've been living like this? The same constant hunger and sense of hopelessness?"

She fell silent and turned away. How could she not feel that? She'd never understood how hard it was to simply survive in the world until she'd been taken from her life of plenty and thrust into this nightmare. But wasn't her suffering due to her incompetence? She hadn't been living exactly as the other lower citizens have. She didn't imagine many traveled with a wolf guide or were being hunted. It made her experience more complex.

"I don't know why you support the king," muttered Link in bitterness. "I've heard that even some of the nobility have voiced their opposition with his rule."

Zelda closed her eyes, his words cutting more deeply than they ought.

"You know," said Link, voice softening as he went on, "Coro used to live in the forest near Ordon. He and his father owned a house and ten acres of land. But then his father passed on, and all assets were seized by the crown when he failed to produce a notarized will. Because of that, he'd been forced to find other work and ended up here. This house isn't even his. It belongs to our friend, Auru. He lets us stay here whenever we're in town. He has more houses in some of the other towns, all inhabited by people who can't afford a place of their own."

"Not having a notarized will is hardly the fault of the king," she defended.

Link sent her a look of exasperation. "No. But purposefully misplacing one that was notarized is."

Zelda winced and sniffed, her nose stuffy from the cold. She stared at her hands in her lap not knowing whether to believe him or not. That did sound excessive. Misplacing documents just to ruin a random peasant's life.

Link sighed, a heavy set to his shoulders as he got up. "You should get some sleep," Link said, moving toward the staircase. "I'll take you to your room. Coro won't be back for a while, so we have the house to ourselves."

Without a word, Zelda stood from her uncomfortable position on the floor and followed him up the stairs. At the top there was a short hallway with four doors lining either side. Link held one open for her and Zelda entered, tensing when she accidentally brushed against his arm.

She padded in and peered around the small desolate chamber. The bed was piled high with blankets and Zelda felt the profound urge to tear off all of her soaked garments and snuggle beneath the mound.

"There's some clothes in the chest at the end of the bed," said Link, flicking his ears, a habit she associated with anxiousness. "I don't think anything will fit you, but it's better than nothing."

Indeed. "Thank you, Link," she murmured quietly.

Link nodded and began to shut the door. "You can give me your clothes when you're done and I'll place them by the fire to dry."

"Thank you," she said again.

With that, Link left, and Zelda went to the chest to get changed.

xxXxx

Too cold. Even buried beneath all these blankets, Zelda was far too cold.

Outside the wind howled and tore at the shutters. A sliver of breeze sneaked through a crack in the moldings and at once sent her through a new round of shivers.

She'd been lucky twofold to run into Link. If she'd had slept outside with her wolf, as she'd intended, she had no doubts that she wouldn't have lasted the night.

On the other side of the walls there was a great blizzard pummeling the structure. More than once she feared the house wouldn't hold up and it would be worn to splinters. But still it stood, and Zelda mentally praised the architect for whatever design he used that was keeping the house in one piece.

A particularly harsh gale blew against the house and the bolts of the window were torn off, the shutters banging as they flung open.

She huddled further under the covers, squeezing her eyes tight and using her breath to warm her beneath the blankets.

Zelda started when minutes later the door to her room flew open. Link entered, grumbling under his breath, and walked over to the banging shutters. With the light of a lantern, he scrutinized the hinges and tried to force the shutters back in place. They groaned against the push of the wind and Link cursed when they didn't keep shut and once again burst apart.

Zelda peaked from beneath the covers and watched.

When he determined that the issue wasn't with the shutters but the latch itself, he gave up and set the lantern down.

Zelda stilled as he approached her bed and gathered her up, blankets and all. Adjusting her so he could have room to hold the lantern as well, he picked it up then started down the hall to the living room.

"Why are we going downstairs?" she murmured underneath her bundle of blankets.

Link answered succinctly, "Because upstairs is freezing and I'd rather be by the fire."

"Then why are you carrying me?" she continued as he made his way into the living room and set her down on the couch.

"Because I did not realize you were awake." He rummaged around and threw some logs and kindling into the hearth. He then struck a flint and the kindling caught fire.

Sitting back on his heels, he monitored the flame, making sure it didn't go out. When it was blazing warmly, Zelda slid off the couch sat huddled in her nest of blankets next to him.

"Better?" he asked.

Zelda smiled, her heart doing fluttery things at the sound of his deep voice. "Much. Thank you. It is appreciated."

His eyes danced at her, firelight flickering in their recesses. "Enough for you to finally tell me your name?" he asked with a hopeful wistfulness.

Her smile widened and she shook her head. His ears drooped slightly, but he snorted and waved it off.

"It would be nice to know you properly," he muttered, perhaps a tad irately.

"Same for you," countered Zelda.

"An exchange then," Link entreated.

Zelda cocked her head, her interest peeked. "You want a heart to heart?"

He shrugged and leaned back on his hands. "Just the interesting bits. I don't want to go into monologue about my whole life in Ordon," he said, grinning humorously. "I tell you about what happened to give me these," he said holding up his arm with the criss-crossing scars. "And you tell me about this little journey you've been on.

She clutched her legs tightly to her and pondered her options. If she agreed to this she'd have to come out that she was Hyrule's princess, and with his evident distaste for her father, who knew how he'd react to that. But in return he'd have to fill in the gaps as to what had happened when he'd helped that woman and how he had attained those scars.

It was a difficult choice, but really there was no question in her mind about what to decide. She was far too curious for her own good. "Very well. An exchange," she said, leaning against the couch. "I would hear you out first though."

As morbid as it was, she really _really_ wanted to know how he had incurred those scars.

Link took a long inhale of breath and let it out slowly.

"Where should I start," he muttered, drawing a hand through his hair before leaning back on his hands. "I suppose it was when I first met _her_. Yes, she's the woman Uli told you about. She was a noblewoman, like you, but you wouldn't have been able to tell with her foul attitude, and her manners. I swear that courtesy basics had been left out of her schooling curriculum. She was rude and obnoxious and had no consideration for others."

Zelda frowned. Although he was bitter, there was a fond edge to his voice that spoke of deep devotion. Uncharacteristically the feeling of jealousy sparked in her. What she wouldn't give for him to speak of her with that same fondness.

"But," he went on, a smile playing at his lips, "She ended up becoming one of my best friends." He rubbed the back of his neck bashfully and glanced at her. "You may have heard of her. Her name was Midna."

"Midna?" shot Zelda, her eyebrows rising up incredulously. "Midna, Queen of the Twilight? That Midna?"

Link smiled at her grimly. "Difficult to believe, I know."

"But the kingdom of the Twilight is far from here," said Zelda, trying to wrap her head around it all. "How could she have come to Hyrule? There would have been a lot of fanfare and I do not recall any such event happening."

"I don't suppose you keep up with outer nation news," input Link, staring at the fire. "She had been exiled. A usurper had overthrown her and rather than kill her himself, had her knocked unconscious and sent somewhere far away. Her magic had been stolen and she'd been left powerless in an unknown country so far off that she wasn't even familiar with the language."

"I'm inclined not to believe this," muttered Zelda, nose wrinkling with skepticism.

He flashed her a conniving smirk. "I've been told I create the most fanciful tales." He grinned at her. "I'd been living in Ordon for a few years by then, working on the ranch with the goats. Then one day just as dusk settled over the forest, I met her. She attacked me, could you believe it. Thought I was a savage trying to kill her. But she was weakened. I took her home and watched over her. She was sharp and quick as a bomskit and learned to speak Hyrulean in a matter of days. A mere week later she was fluent enough to be able to commission me to help her. Or rather, she blackmailed me. Her magic had been stolen, but the usurper, Zant, could never take all of it. She threatened to destroy the village if I didn't come with her, so I left."

Zelda tensed at the recollection of that same village burning. And it had been because of her.

She prayed that all the villagers were safe and doing well.

She sniffed and leaned her cheek against her knees. "I've heard she was a snarky queen, but I would have never guessed her capable of that."

Link shrugged. "She was desperate. And Zant's reign was one of oppression and terror. I may have been forced, but helping her take back her throne is something I'll never regret."

"I see," replied Zelda softly. "Then you're the hero they speak of? I've heard tales of you, the man who helped the Twilight Queen vanquish the evil usurper and reclaim her country. I've heard so much of your feats. I met the Twili emissary before," she said enthusiastically. "I adored his tales of you."

"Really?" said Link, eyebrow quirking up as a smile shone on his face. "You adored hearing legends about me?"

"Er, that is…" she hastened to amend but came up with nothing.

"I won't tease you about it, if that's what's worrying you," he said, although the look on his face was far too smug for comfort.

She coughed shyly and hugged her legs tighter. "Is that when…" she detracted, staring at his arm.

The look of smugness abruptly vanished and he clutched his arm, gaze veering away. "A moment of carelessness. I'd become too cocky. Too self-absorbed in what I was becoming."

Zelda looked on in sadness at the anguish that crossed his face.

"I was strong," said Link, teeth gritting. "I could fight. Midna told me that I was the fastest learner she'd ever met. I took to the sword like a calf to walking. And from her praise I became confident and reckless. I overestimated myself and erred. That was the opportunity Zant needed to capture me. I had started as a thorn in his side but was quickly becoming a dagger at his throat. Midna escaped, fortunately, and managed to get me out. But only after five days. For five days," he sighed and unclenched his hands which had formed into tight fists. "I won't divulge the specifics of my torture, but the marks are here and they shall forever be."

A silence fell between them. Link sat staring into the fire, the flames reflected as golden embers in his blue irises.

How must it have been to have lived through that. At least so far she'd managed to escape from all the people after her, but Link hadn't. If he were to be believed, then he had experienced far more than she could ever imagine or want to live herself.

Sliding the blanket off of her, she crawled closer to him and touched the skin of his wrist.

Reactively, Link pulled away, but Zelda was determined.

"May I see them?" she coaxed softly.

A frown marred his expression and he averted his head. "You have already. When we first met."

"I have seen only a fraction," she replied.

Gaze turning back to her, Link searched her eyes. After a moment he silently took of his tunic, giving a shudder at the cold. He hesitated then finished by pulling off his white undershirt, revealing his bare skin to her.

Her eyes were immediately drawn to his torso, overwhelmed by the countless scars that were etched upon it. Some of the marks could have been battle wounds, but by far the vast majority were too calculated to be the result of a duel. No, the tools that had created these had been purposefully applied in specific places and in certain ways. They had been intended to inflict pain.

His back was similarly a disfigurement of mangled slashes. A number of long criss-crossing white lines indicated the use of a whip. The sight of it made her shudder in revulsion.

She traced her fingertips over the largest mark, a bright red blotch that spread over his left breast.

"It was cauterized," Link provided in explanation. "One of Zant's idiot minions had punctured me too deeply with his knife. I was losing too much blood so they sealed it up in the quickest way. They meant to torture me, not kill."

Zelda swallowed heavily then turned her gaze up to him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he said, piercing her with that intense gaze of his. "You did none of this. We all suffer, but in different ways. I was merely strong enough to bear it."

"You shouldn't have had to!" she cried, eyes glazing with dampness.

Her chin was delicately grasped and lifted up. With gentle tenderness, he wiped away her budding tears and caressed her cheek.

"No one should," he whispered, the timber of his voice low and soft.

Their faces were so close. Their breaths mingled and Zelda was unconsciously drawn. Without thinking, without going over the reasons why she should or shouldn't, she leaned up and kissed him.

His lips were slightly chapped, but underneath that was softness. Hot and alluring. He was shocked at first, but once she started moving her mouth against his own, he devoured her.

Zelda lifted up to her knees, hands fisting the front of his tunic in a desperate grab for purchase. His response threatened to make her swoon.

Link pressed his mouth at a better angle and grabbed her around the waist, drawing her closer and earning a heady moan from her. His aggressiveness mixed with the gentle touch of his lips caused her inside to burn in the most pleasant of ways.

She could lose herself in his kisses.

He drew back first and not wanting to lose the contact, Zelda followed him before realizing what she was doing and flushed.

He grinned at her and her flush deepened. He pulled her close and lay them down, throwing the blankets over them. It didn't matter to them that they were resting on the hard floor like cats curled in front of the fire. Zelda found warmth in his embrace and so savored it.

"Quid pro quo, my lady. You still haven't told me your name."

Wilting a little, she pushed away from him and sat up. How secure she'd felt hiding behind the pretense of another identity. Would he scorn her for being her father's child when he found out? For that reason she hesitated.

A large hand settled her back and Zelda ducked her head despondently.

"I was assailed while traveling to Minish," completely diverting and refusing to meet his deep gaze. "Bandits, mercenaries, I'm not quite sure what they were. It was a surprise attack and my guards were slain. All of them. Through chance I was able to escape, and I've been running ever since, trying to reach home."

"Was it money they were after?"

She laughed bitterly. "In a way. Their goal was me. Because of who my father is I was to be held for ransom. But lately I've reason to believe that they sought to kill me."

To suck her soul out and consume it… Who was their employer and why would he go so far as to want her soul? Why her?

Link's arms came around her and she leaned into his comforting embrace, closing her eyes.

"I apologize," said Link, "I had thought you were running from an arranged marriage. Many men and women of higher class are sold by their parents to create ties with other families, and running is their only way of escape. I had thought you pitiful for throwing a life of privilege away simply because you didn't like your intended partner."

"You may think differently of me if I were to tell you who I am," she said cautiously.

"Nothing will alter the way I feel for you, I can guarantee that," he reassured, holding her tight.

The way he felt for her? And how exactly did he feel for her?

That question screamed in her head and Zelda fought down the urge to relay it verbally. She couldn't get her hopes up. Not if he were to scorn her after learning her identity.

She was tempted to provide him with yet another false name, but she couldn't. He had saved her. He had told her his backstory and now it was her turn. She owed him that much.

Sighing, she determined to get it quickly over with. "I wouldn't be so sure…" she said then lifted her chin. "My name is Zelda Nohansen Hyrule, sole daughter and heir of King Democles Nohansen Hyrule."

Goddesses, she hoped his arms tensing around her wasn't a bad sign.

A beat of silence. Zelda grew more worried the longer Link didn't respond. Soon she couldn't bear it any longer and twisted around in his arms.

"Link?" she asked tepidly, only to find him staring down at her, eyes wide with shock.

There it was. Proof of the tide of his feelings. He abhorred her. She was the daughter of the very man he was fighting against. He despised her.

She tried to stand up and leave, but his arms tightened around her, keeping her in place.

He closed his mouth after a time of processing and found his voice, "Princess Zelda? You're the princess, I…" He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "W-wow, I..."

Her gut clenched and she dug her nails into her palms, emotional pain overriding any physical pain she could afflict.

At length he let her go, only to get up and pace across the room, hand rubbing his forehead.

Zelda sat up and held the blankets to her, eyes downcast.

"You said it wouldn't affect anything…" she whispered demurely.

He whipped around, and despite trying not to, she peeked up at him, seeing once again surprise on his face. Zelda tensed for the oncoming words of hatred, but then his demeanor visibly softened.

"It doesn't," he said this as though it were a tragedy. "Not between us. But this…this changes things. You can help us. You've lived among the peasantry, you know the struggles your people go through, you can sympathize with us. You can change everything."

"W-wait, you don't…hate me?" Could he truly be that indifferent to her heritage? It wasn't that simple to overlook the fact that she was the daughter of his enemy. His initial reaction had shown that. But…why…?

"Hate you?" he asked, flummoxed and obviously not believing that had come from her mouth. His eyes searched hers and then filled with understanding. "Why in Hyrule would I hate you? You're not the king. You're Cla... er Zelda."

She leaned forward, blankets bunched in her hand. "But your reaction? I'm the king's daughter. You should hate me as much as you hate him."

"It's not often that a man learns that the woman he's been falling for is royalty," he answered succinctly, stooping down next to her and brushing his knuckles against her cheek. "It's quite a bit to take in. And what if every child is punished for the actions of their parents? The one committing the crime should be singularly punished. You yourself have done nothing wrong. Nothing that I am aware of at least," he added as a jibe.

Her heart swelled with the beginning of adoration, and the feeling of something far deeper. A feeling she was willing to peruse when she was alone with her thoughts.

Automatically she leaned into his touch, a great weight lifting off of her as relief settled in.

"But then what are you talking about? What can I change? What's going on, Link?" she demanded.

"Zelda, there's a reason why I haven't returned to Ordon," he said, cautious yet determined. "I am part of the resistance faction working against the king."

Zelda froze, cheek still nestled against the warmth of his hand, her pulse racing. "Wh-what?"

"What happened in Dovos and all those other towns can be prevented from happening again," urged Link. "You have the power to depose the king and take the crown for your own. His rule defies the will of the Goddesses. With enough support you can be queen and save Hyrule. Redeem your father."

"What are you saying?" she cried, pulling away from him abruptly. Her? Evict her own father?

"Don't you want men like those soldiers brought to justice?" called Link with a harshness in his tone that shocked her. "Don't you want people who are honorable to be the ones in control. You can make it happen."

"I can't," she said pitifully. Couldn't he understand? There was nothing she could do. "Don't you see? I'm merely a princess, I am powerless."

He crouched down in front of her, grasping her chin and forcing her to look at him. "Are you? Just because you're a princess?"

"Yes," she insisted. "I am unable to do anything."

He stared at her intensely for a while then dropped her chin, straightening up.

"To me that gives you more power than anybody else."

She turned away as he sat down on the couch, contemplating her.

"You know princess Hilda of Lorule? She's been working alongside her father the king ever since she was fourteen, and oftentimes takes on his duties when he's away and unable to. She even acts as emissary to foreign nations."

She clenched the blankets tightly and kept her eyes down.

Link went on.

"Princess Ruto of the Zora has complete governance over Lake Hylia, and her brother, Ralis, is part of the junior military services. He also arranges charities to raise donations for those who cannot support themselves."

Her eyes squeezed shut and shoulders began shaking.

"Prince Komali of Dragon Roost also helps in charitable events, and he leads flight patrols through his lands. Even princess Styla of Hytopia, a complete fashion crazed fop, contributes to the wellbeing of her country by allocating expenses to provide good quality clothing for those who can't afford it. You don't _have_ to be queen to make a difference."

"But I'm not like them," she spoke silently, wretchedly. "I was never expected to do anything."

"Then that's the fault of your father," Link hissed in resentful anger. "But you…you can change that now. Please, Clai - Zelda."

But did she want to? Could she go against her father and force him from the throne? He had the council behind him, yet even they could see that he was ailing. The physician warned that with his heart problems he wouldn't stay strong for much longer. It wouldn't take much effort to convince them to her side.

But she couldn't. She could never do that to her poor father. But maybe…maybe she could reason with him. He loved her dearly and would even interrupt diplomatic meetings for her to see to her needs.

"Fine," she responded, sharp fingernails digging into her palms. "I'll do it. I'll – I'll speak with him and only if he doesn't listen will we resort to drastic measures."

It was the best she could do. She didn't think she had the courage to outright dethrone him, but it was what Link wanted to hear.

His smile was rewarding and he bent to one knee before her, grasping a delicate hand in both of his large ones.

"Thank you. You have no idea how important this is for your people." He kissed her knuckles and Zelda felt a fraction of shame.

What he was asking her to do defied everything in her. She was her father's beloved little girl. She'd never been outspoken or troublesome. He'd been good to her all her life and she'd been a good daughter to him. In helping her people she'd have to betray her father. She didn't know if she was capable of going through with it. How could she?

"Oh, Zelda," he murmured, planting a kiss on her head. She closed her eyes and attempted to quell the anguish in her heart. "Listen to me," said Link, holding her by the shoulders at arms-length. "The resistance plans to make its move very soon. It is imperative that everything be carried out to the letter."

She nodded waveringly and listened as for the next hour he outlined the rebel's plot to take down the king. In the end they laid entwined together next to a smouldering fire, sharing in body heat, the blankets keeping the warmth in.

Zelda's head rested nestled against his chest, feeling the rise and fall as he breathed.

Link… No one had ever made her feel this way, so wanted and cherished. It was bliss. Did she love him? No, she didn't. But she was beginning to.

"Link," she asked softly, tentatively. "Will you come with me to the castle?"

He shifted her in his arms and settled again, his breath fluttering the whispy locks on the crown of her head. "If you wish it."

She clung to him tighter. "Don't leave me. Please, never leave me."

"I will always be by your side."

A small smile spread across her face and she nuzzled against him.

The last thought that passed through her mind before she fell asleep was that she'd have to explain to him about the wolf.


	6. Chapter 6

**I may or may not have been influenced by the movie 'Stardust' for this chapter. It's subtle but there are similarities.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Part VI**

 **Aftermath**

Yawning, Zelda sat up, stretching out the aches of her back from sleeping on the floor. The blanket she'd cocooned herself in fell limply around her waist and Zelda quickly pulled it back around her when the cold set in. Looking to her side she was disappointed to see an empty space where Link had fallen asleep next to her, embracing her as he slept as if she were the most precious thing in the universe.

Her thoughts lingered fondly on the events that had transpired the night prior before shifting to more pressing needs. Her empty stomach for one, and the whereabouts of Link. Further scrutiny showed that he was not in the room. There was no sign of him at all.

Tamping down her growing concern, she got up and added another log to the smouldering cinders. Standing as close to the heat as she was able, she dropped the blanket, briefly scowling at how scrawny she'd become, and dressed for the day in the outfit she'd been wearing since Ordon. It defiled her sense of good hygiene to be wearing the same clothes over and over again without washing, but it was not as if she was at liberty to purchase another gown.

Afterward she stood there, uncertain of what to do.

Her stomach grumbled, but she'd accustomed herself to the feeling of hunger so that by now she could disregard it. The house was silent and the cold pricked at her bones. From the sound of it, the storm had abated although a glance out the window showed that the snow was still coming down.

"Link?" she called out.

Where was he? Had he gone out? She considered going out to look for him but then what if he came back and found she'd gone? What if she became further lost in the city and couldn't find her way back to the house?

A noise sounded from upstairs, like a thud or the fall of footsteps. Zelda a bit too eagerly followed after it, a smile already budding on her lips. She reached the top floor and wandered down the hall, peeking into each of the rooms.

"Link?" she called again, anticipating a reply.

It wasn't until she reached the room that she'd previously been staying in that she located the source of the noise. It was the broken shutter from last night. It flapped as the wind blew it, occasionally swinging hard enough to bang against the wall.

Disappointed, and slightly annoyed, Zelda pulled her cloak further around herself and turned away.

A swift jaunt through the rest of the house showed that Link wasn't anywhere to be found. She scoured it again to make sure he hadn't left behind a note or anything explaining his absence and in the end wandered back by the fire, dejected.

She sat on the sofa and stared blankly at the hearth, remembering him doing the same as he'd told her of his past, before gritting her teeth and sneering.

Her status did not affect anything, huh. Clearly, since he'd found the need to desert her at the first opportunity.

She hugged herself and laid down on her side, picking up the blanket from the floor and tugging it around her.

Loneliness set in. It was a different sort than the previous feeling of being lost when she'd been alone in the woods, or her isolation when the Ordonians had looked on askance at her when she'd gone with the wolf. This feeling was more crushing and accompanied by the inferable prick of betrayal.

An hour ticked by, followed by another. Whenever voices or footsteps passed remotely close to the house Zelda listened on edge only to be instantly depressed when they passed by.

The fire ate at the log she'd placed there until she was forced to feed it another, all the while watching the door for the first sign that Link had returned.

Hadn't he said that he wouldn't leave her? That he'd join her on her way to the capital? He'd constructed such intricate plans for them to confront the king. Did those plans still apply or was he backing out? Had everything he'd said last night mean nothing?

Her thoughts were disturbed by another noise from above. The shutters again, probably. She really wished the house was better structured, but then she should be grateful that someone had been compassionate enough to provide the lodgings for her. She'd have been a frozen icicle in the streets by now if it weren't for Link and his benefactor.

That was something else she'd become accustomed to as well; feeling grateful all the time. Grateful for being taken in by Uli and looked after as if she were family, grateful for the clothes on her back, for something to eat and a warm place to bed down. Grateful the wolf who had served as her protector on more than one occasion, for meeting Link and for him coming to save her. Grateful for simply being alive.

She hadn't felt this grateful at the castle. And she'd been living far more comfortably there.

The scuffle of something large ambling down the stairs instantly pulled her from her musings. Zelda instantly sat up, mind conjuring all sorts of foul scenarios when the noise cleared to reveal the click of nails on wood and a grey snout came into view.

She'd bounded from the sofa and flung her arms around the wolf before she'd even registered what she was doing. Burrowing her face in his snow-drenched mane she was met with the familiar comforting smell of pine and forest.

The wolf whined, voicing his worry for her. Zelda laughed and ran her hands through his fur. It didn't matter how he had found her, she was only too happy that he was with her.

"How I hoped _you_ wouldn't leave me," she said, cupping his mussel and staring into his bright blue eyes. That spark of blue ever entranced her.

"When this is over I wish you to stay with me for always." It was her most dreaded thought, the prospect of her wonderful wolf leaving her after she'd been delivered back to her father.

Wolves were meant to be wild, to run across the land with no inhibitions. And her wolf had to be some sort of guardian. There was no other explanation for how he was always able to find her and protect her in the nick of time from danger and he had an uncanny air of wisdom. He would most likely leave when he was no longer needed. He wouldn't stand being trapped behind the castle walls, she just knew he wouldn't accept it.

She held onto her wolf a little longer before sitting back on her heels and smiling at him. His focussed gaze made her inclined to believe that he was smiling back, although less vibrantly, as if he too knew their time together would soon be at an end.

Zelda shook herself, idly rubbing his ears. "I'm glad you came to find me, but how in Hyrule will you leave without being seen by the entire village?"

How had he even made it here without raising the town to hysterics? Wolves were hated, and wolves that snuck into populated areas were despised all the more. They were rival hunters and killers of livestock. No sensible person would stand to let one roam into town and live.

The wolf moved away from her gentle touch and began climbing back up the stairs. Zelda watched curiously as he swivelled his head to her and ascended the rest of the steps, waiting for her to follow.

Frankly questioning his motifs, she went up after him. He led her to the room with the banging shutter then ambled up to her, rubbing his flanks up against her hip like a cat.

She quickly caught the gist of his message and clambered on, holding him around the ruff as she fixed her position and gripped with her knees.

Snow billowed into her face. The wolf shook his head against the icy flakes and leaped onto the windowsill. Zelda ducked down and pressed herself flat against him to avoid the head of the window. He gave a bark of warning before leaping clear across the gap separating the house with the next one over. He landed in a skid and from there he continued bounding over the roofs of Calin.

xxXxx

Zelda stared up at the massive structure. The walls protecting Castle Town were enormous, yet quite accommodating to anyone wanting to pass through. The gates were forever open and she could see the men on guard to one side, surrounding an upturned barrel that they used as a makeshift table. Drinks and purses fought for room on the surface along with four hands of gambling cards. The most concern they demonstrated for their job was to look up fleetingly every now and then at the passersby's.

The evil king of legend could have walked by without any interference. And luckily she, a veritable street rat, was able to slip in without drawing a single curious eye.

It was unsettling to say the least. Shouldn't her father have set up better defenses knowing rebellions were rising all across Hyrule?

Adding it to the list of questions she wanted to ask him – she would _demand_ of him - she darted down the road, enraptured in the familiar sights and sounds Castle Town. Finally, she was home.

Her good mood was palpable through her smile, which never left her face as she walked the familiar roads. From above she paid close attention to the swift shadow zipping across the roofs. Her wolf, eager and willing to see their journey through to the end. Anyone not aware to look for the beast wouldn't have even noticed his passing. Like a cat slinking through the dark shadows of eaves and chimneys he followed her from above.

Her mind wandered to the rebels and Link's plan and her smile faltered a fraction before she reinforced it, her cheer less genuine.

Soon she'd come to face with her father. King Democles of Hyrule, the most powerful man on the continent. She would be the rebels tool to winning him over, Link had made his intent for her as clear as day, there were no delusions, no false misconceptions as to her part. And she would be used willingly. If it meant saving lives and preventing more of those devastating raids her father had allowed his men to commit, she would willingly let herself be manipulated.

She was jostled as she made her way down the main road en route for the castle. The crowd pushed and shoved, uncaring of whom she was and where she came from. She bore no emblem, was dressed as they were and was as scruffy and dirt filled as they were. Zelda smiled to herself, unbothered by it. They didn't know any better. This was life for a peasant and she had a whole new appreciation for it.

She saw many soldiers while walking. Many faces she didn't recognize, all men who could very well be equally as vile as the soldiers in Calin. She avoided them with as much discretion as she could afford. It was a tactic she was by now familiar with; keep her head down, don't make eye contact, pretend everything was normal and she was left mostly undisturbed.

The castle was now within her sights. Soon she would return to the embrace of her father.

She frowned as she pondered, feet tapping against the flagstones leading up to the massive gates.

What would he think of her when he saw her? Would he even recognize her? She'd changed within the weeks she'd been away, had hollowed out and become more gangly, but she was uncertain how large of a change she had undergone.

A considerable one, evidently. The men standing guard before the castle were men she recognized and knew by name, yet as she approached nothing in their mannerism displayed that they perceived her as anything other than an urchin.

It wasn't until she had coughed twice and given an exaggerated scoff that they even regarded her. They had probably thought she'd come over to beg for rupees and had thusly ignored her.

"What do you want?" demanded one of the guards gruffly.

Zelda considered herself lucky that he hadn't immediately chased her off if this was the reaction she received.

Taking a deep breath and casting her eyes briefly to the shadowed silhouette of her wolf skulking on a nearby rooftop for reassurance, she smiled and said unwaveringly, "Really, corporal Ivan. One would assume you'd know how to properly address your princess."

It was a moment of dread. He'd either see through her altered appearance for who she was or brush her off callously as a liar like those other soldiers had done.

Ivan made to say something but then squinted at her, passing scrutiny over her face and features, before sucking in a sharp breath and abruptly snapping into a bow, arms pressed to his sides. His partner on guard duty, a man named Duncan, mimicked the gesture when he too saw through her weeks of struggle and filth.

"P-princess! What are you- Where have you been? We believed the worst had happened to you," said Ivan, fretfully, his voice filled with worry.

Zelda smiled, her anxiousness abating. Thank the Goddesses. She didn't know what she would have done had they turned her away.

The corporal continued expressing his distress over her absence and voicing the distress of all the castle residents as well, it seemed, until Zelda raised a hand in amusement to stop him.

"That is enough, corporal," she said calmly, albeit shakily. Honestly, she could hardly believe she made it back. Pride settled in with the knowledge that she had done it with minimal assistance. A new feeling of independence took over and she couldn't say that she didn't like it. "I've had a long journey. I am tired and in need of refreshments. Alert Shad to my presence. I will need to speak with my father at once."

"Right away, your highness!"

The guards obeyed forthwith and Zelda was quickly escorted inside where corporal Ivan divulged her presence to a number of other soldiers who surrounded her, concealing her as much from view as possible as they led her into the castle.

Zelda was completely ensconced by armored men. She could see nothing past the bulk of their bodies, although she made no mention of their suffocating presence. She had an image to keep up, and if any of the nobility happened to glean her like this and recognize her it would reflect poorly on the royal house.

Shad met them halfway down one of the corridors leading up to the throne room. One glance at her and she was sent directly to her chambers. No matter her relation with the king or the urgency in her tone, he would not allow her to be less than presentable a minute longer than what it would take to go up to her rooms and wash up.

So, for the first time in weeks, Zelda at last was able to bathe efficiently. Her personal maids had gasped at the sight of her and had promptly stripped her tattered cloak and gown off and stuck her in the hot water. Her hair had then been lathered by the strongest scented lotions available while many hands made work scrubbing her body until her skin turned pink and she felt raw all over.

The maids had been further horrified when they took her out and began to dress her only to find that her regular clothes weren't fitting. And no matter how Zelda urged them to hasten, her maids refused to let her leave the room until they'd readjusted one of her dresses to fit. While her dress was being filled with pins and needles, a physician had arrived and attended to her scrapes and wounds.

By the time Zelda was permitted to leave her ears were ringing with caterwauling and furious oaths of vengeance to those brutes who had brought her to this state.

She hadn't been back an hour and already she missed the tranquility of the forest. Nature surrounding her as she walked uncharted paths through the trees. Her gardens wouldn't be nearly the same.

Shad was waiting for her outside the door. He looked over her approvingly, and gave her a grim stare. "His majesty wishes to see you," he said like it was all regulation and orderly, not a father desperate to reunite with his daughter after weeks of fear and anxiety.

Again she was to be escorted, but this time the guards weren't as stifling. Shad hovered next to her as they took the twists and turns that led to the throne room.

Just as they turned down another corridor there was a disturbance. Racing toward them, chased by at least fifteen soldiers, and dodging left and right as swords were aimed at him, was her wolf.

A hand pushed her down and her entourage moved to stand before her, blocking her from what they perceived as an oncoming threat.

"How did a beast enter the castle?" called one of her guards.

"It's not stopping."

"Kill it!"

Zelda watched horrified as swords were aimed and the wolf continued its course, bounding to her at full pelt.

She stood and grabbed the arm of the nearest guard. "No! Do not touch him!"

Despite her cry, their swords still slashed at the wolf, and he dodged them relentlessly. In one spring he pounced and landed on the chest of the guard standing before her, knocking him down.

He leapt off and Zelda threw her arms around him before any of the other men had the chance to attack him.

"Lay down your weapons!" she demanded, head resting in his warm fur. "I will have the hands cut off of anyone who attempts to touch him."

The soldiers hesitated, expressions bewildered and doubtful. She could see it in their eyes. They thought her mad. Her time alone had made her feral. This was a wolf. A wild beast she was willingly embracing. It was foolish for anyone to be so close to that sort of beast unarmed.

"Princess," started Shad, gulping at the sight of the wolf before tamping down his distress and laying out firmly, "You must get away from it-"

"He is mine," she shot abruptly, viciously, eyes narrowing at all the men in assembly, daring them to contradict her. "He is to remain with me and is to be treated as an honored guest."

Many of the soldiers looked on aghast. Shad was taken aback by the assertion in her demand, but Zelda turned away from them, letting her hand rest buried in the furry nape of her wolf.

With the beast at her side, she continued confidently to meet her father, her guards standing further back than before. Cowards. Just because wolves were looked down upon they had to treat them as if they were the incarnations of demons.

The walk henceforth was a silent one. Zelda was too trapped in her musings to pay attention to anything but for the reassuring feel of her wolf at her side. Within ten minutes they reached the massive oak doors leading to the throne room and from there Zelda paused and took a deep breath as she stared up at them.

This was it. Whatever doubts or questions she carried about facing her father, this was the chance to pull back. If she entered now and confronted him and he agreed to the terms that Link had set he'd be safe. If the king didn't agree, well, Link hadn't specified what they would do about that, but she had a fairly good idea and she was torn with deciding what to do about it.

"Princess?" Shad's concerned voice piped up, and it was only then she realized that she'd been staring at the grain of the wood for a while, making no motion to enter or leave.

Standing tall, she stared forward with resolution. "I would like to speak with my father alone. We are not to be interrupted and, unless called for, none of you may enter the room."

Shad nodded, eyes compulsively flicking to the wolf every two seconds. "That is fine. His majesty requested as much. But what will you do with the animal? Surely it will not go in with you?"

Zelda hadn't thought much about where the wolf would go while she had her audience with the king. It was natural that she automatically planned for the wolf to come with her, even if it put her father on edge.

She relayed such as she looked back to Shad and the handful of guards. "He will be with me. And I will hear nothing more of it." She intercepted Shad's rebuke before he could voice it.

With little resistance, Shad closed his mouth into a thin line and nodded in concession.

Zelda faced back toward the doors, lips alighting with a small smile. Look at her. Giving orders with command to her tone as if she was queen already. Weeks ago she'd been this demure little thing. Any order given had been stated softly, any request she made was obeyed because of the amiability of her gentle disposition, not for any authority she had over them that might construe to any ability at leadership.

Link was right. She had more power than she realized.

The doors were pushed open for her, the guards standing to one side while Shad lingered behind as she walked through, hand tightening in the scruff of the wolf's nape.

The doors were then shut and the room fell to earie silence.

A hundred paces away was the throne. A magnificent structure that stood tall with an intricate sculpture of the Triforce at its summit, an object of insurmountable power, surrounded by the rendering of three women, one for each corner. At the base, seated accordingly for a royal, with perfect posture and staring front, was the king.

A miniscule frown made its way across her gaunt face. He should really be resting as the physicians had advised, not occupying himself with royal affairs.

Heart pounding in fond happiness despite the trepidation of what she was about to do, Zelda walked down the blue carpet, the brush of the wolf's flank a comfort with every step of the way. Her beloved father was right there. After weeks of fretful travel he was still there waiting for her.

When she was feet away from him she stopped and smiled, clasping her hands loosely before her. She looked warmly at him. "I have come home, father."

The king leaned forward, elbow bracing on his knee as she came under his intense scrutiny. He didn't even give a moment of consideration to her wolf companion, his eyes only for his daughter.

Tense seconds passed, then he stood, robes rippling with the graceful motion, and strode toward her. Even then she could see his wince, as if that small level of activity brought him pain. In his mid-forties, his majesty was far too young to be experiencing health issues.

How she wished she could erase his pain, to soothe him of his illness, but that was a power she did not possess.

The next moment she was swept into his arms as the king rushed over to embrace her, holding her close. Zelda instantly wrapped her arms around him tightly, water budding at her eyes as she pressed her face into his familiar warmth.

"Blessed Goddesses, Zelda. My sweet Zelda. I had thought you were lost to me." They were the first words he'd said to her in weeks and with their utterance she was brought to tears.

There had been moments when she'd feared she wouldn't live to ever see him again. Squeezing her eyes shut, the tears were released and flowed freely in rivulets down her face. She firmed her hold on him, basking in his warmth and security.

"I've missed you, father," she said between hiccups. "I've missed you so."

"When they told me you'd been attacked and that your guards had all been slain and you'd gone missing, I was terrified that I had lost you," he said, voice deep and yearning. "I sent my men out straight away to find you, but you proved elusive. I had lost faith."

He didn't need to tell her that he'd had one of his attacks during that time. His firm embrace spoke of what his fear had put him through. His fear for her wellbeing. His only daughter.

At last he pulled back, but it was solely so that he could look upon her with overwhelming emotion.

"Zelda, you must tell me what happened," he insisted, brushing a hand along her face, almost in disbelief that she was really there. "How did you make it back?"

It was a topic that immediately blackened her disposition. The memories, recent as they were, were ones she did not wish to relive.

"It was bandits, father," she said by way of beginning. "They attacked our camp in the night. I was able to get away, but I'd been injured. My wolf friend was the one who found me and brought me to one of the villages."

"Your wolf friend?" And for the first time his gaze landed on the wild beast sitting quietly on his haunches as witness to their reunion. The king's brows began to pinch ever so slightly before his face smoothed over and he was once more attentive to Zelda. "And this village, the people there treated you well?"

"Very well, father," responded Zelda, thinking back on the villagers fondly despite their rather untoward parting. "There is much I owe to them, and I wish to see my debt paid."

The king nodded. "I received your letter and had sent my men to go to this village. Ordon, was it? But when they arrived they'd said that it had suffered from a fire."

"The bandits had come for me and Ordon had paid the price," she went on. "It is something I deeply regret. The wolf once again helped me escape and from then on we travelled together and now we are here."

A large hand fell on her cheek, arm tightening around her. "Thank the Goddesses you made it safely."

Zelda fought the impulse to bite her lip, not wanting to worry her father more. The journey hadn't all been safe, but she was glad it was over with.

And with that she remembered something else she wanted to ask him. "I overheard the bandits talking, father. They were working for someone. Someone who is wealthy and in a position of power. But I don't understand. According to the bandits this person wants to devour my soul. But why? Why would anyone wish for such a thing? It is inhumane."

His large hands caressed her hair. A doting father concerned for the safety of his child. "It is a wretched thing, to devour another's soul. But you are here now. Those knaves shall never touch you, I guarantee it."

His words gave her a small measure of comfort, but it was not enough. Before, when she'd initially landed in Ordon and had been uncertain and fearful as to her fate, she'd believed her father capable of anything. He was King of Hyrule. His position was one of supremacy, everyone bowed to his whim, either willingly or unwillingly. His word had been law, and if he said that she was safe, she'd _be_ safe. But ever since meeting Link her beliefs had become distorted, like a room with belongings flung to every corner in a heaping mess of disorder. If her father was as almighty as she had perceived him to be, then why was there a revolution rising against him?

"Enough about me," she cajoled sweetly, grinning up at him. "I am here and I am safe now. How fare you, father?"

As much as she'd been in danger, his life had been bordering the boundaries of being threatened as well. Every moment that she'd been gone must have added a mound of stress on him that put his heart at risk for another attack. With each attack he was growing more and more feeble. It had been her fear for him that had kept her going.

He smiled adoringly at her and kissed her brow. "Now that you are here, I am as well as ever."

She could see the untruth to that statement, but let it pass. Her father despised pity, and when it was he that pitied himself it was the worst. It was the only thing she could do to help keep his spirits up, by not acknowledging how little time he might have left for this world.

Agony struck her over what she was going to have to do. She had promised Link she'd persuade her father to their cause. If she had to confront him, now was a good a time as any. "Father…I learned something else as well…while I was away." She took a soothing breath to calm her nerves. "There has been mention of a rebellion…"

And with that the king's soft composure frayed and he abruptly stepped away from her, staring with bleak eyes. "Ah… So you've heard." He turned and walked leisurely back to the throne and gave her his back.

His reaction hit her deep with guilt. She just had to ruin their reunion with political dissention.

"It is a small issue. A band of troubled Hyruleans who've started a few minor insurrections. There is no need to concern yourself about it."

Before she would have let it go and left the matter in her father's charge. But she wasn't a naïve little princess anymore. She would not be ignorant of the welfare or lack thereof of her country. She wanted to involve herself in her country's affairs. She was more headstrong, as it were. She could not let it rest.

"But _I am_ concerned about it," she said in persistence. Her father had to see that she was not the clueless little girl she'd once been. "The soldiers have eradicated entire villages to root them out. What have the rebels done but fight for a better living for the people?"

"Yes," he shot, his voice suddenly snide. "But were you aware that as a course to that achievement they have become a detriment to society? They raid convoys to support their members. Convoys with provisions meant _for_ the people. They purchase from the black market for illegal items such as bombs and other destructive weapons to make their public statements. They support crime lords and have the patronage of the most leery of men and women. It's not simply treason, but criminal activities that have them marked."

From beside her the wolf emitted a low growl, his hackles rising. Zelda patted his snout and pressed on.

"Even so, our soldiers have also lowered themselves to acts of criminality," she countered without a beat. "I've witnessed firsthand what degrading levels their honor has dropped to. In no way are they better than the rebels they fight against. Their acts of villainy go unpunished and because of that they take it as a guarantee that they can get away with whatever they do. I believe with better discipline they can once again become the reputed military they once were. They can quell the rebels without harming the rest of society as well. And if you would just listen to the rebels and hear them out I believe that some sort of concession can be made with them as well."

The king's shoulder's tensed before settling as he clasped his hands behind his back, staring up at the sculpture at the apex of the throne.

"You would find that the rebels' demands are unreasonable. If they are to be abided by it would ruin Hyrule more than assist it. Lowered taxed would mean the reallocation of funds and resources, which means less military defenses, and with countries like Holodrum and Termina at our borders that remains out of the question. Many of these rebels want titles, which would upset the majority of the nobility, most of whom are under the firm preconception that one is born into their station by birth. Hyrule would become weaker and more divided. Not even the peasants would benefit from it."

Zelda felt a little foolish at this revelation. Ironically, she hadn't considered the nobility's side of the debate. She'd come to him with accusations and he'd offered her viable reasoning in return for his decision. But there had to be some middle ground. Something had to give.

"But at the very least we can restrain the soldiers," she said determinedly. "There are traitors among the ranks. Some of them were the men who attacked me. We have to root them out so they'll not cause harm any longer." She'd promised Link that she'd do whatever it took to see to a safe resolution. Even the smallest change could ignite the spark to a greater solution.

The king gave a long suffering sigh and passed a hand over his dark tendrils of hair. "I am not as I once was. The more time passes the more fragile I become. My heart pains me daily now. It is predicted that I will not last half a year."

Heart pounding exponentially, Zelda choked back a cry. "No." She rushed over to him but he held up a hand, signalling her to remain where she was. Zelda stilled and cast her eyes downward, biting her bottom lip. Perhaps even touch was too painful for him. Had he been in agony when they'd embraced?

A wet snout tapped her hand and she rested her palm on the wolf's head, fighting against tears.

"It is an intricate thing," the king mused, deep in thought as he spoke. "People sense weakness. It is like an innate feature that we all have. My soldiers know that I am ailing. They can see it and so my authority over them has waned, and lessons more and more the frailer I become. I can barely make it through half a day without needing rest. Within these walls they fall under the pretense that I am king and they must do what I say, but anywhere else, as long as they are not under my direct watch, they do not think of me as their ruler." His breath became short with anger then. A self-directed fury. "It is because of this blasted heart. My heart which the Goddesses' created to be weak."

He gazed over at her then, and Zelda was taken aback by the sharp fury piercing his eyes. It was the fury of a man who felt he'd been wronged. A man whose life was full of unfairness and who desired retribution.

"There is a tale told among our family," said the king in a lower tone. "A tale of our heritage. It has been speculated that our family, the Harkinian's, are direct descendants of a Goddess. And not just any Goddess, but the Goddess Hylia herself. Have you heard of this story?"

Wondering where he might be going with this, Zelda wiped her eyes and conveyed, "No, I have not."

The king nodded idly. "It has lost its popularity, which in itself is curious, seeing as how heritage is a critical aspect of anyone of noble blood. But I've learned of it through books, and I've discovered that it is no legend. In ages past there was a great war between Hylia and a demon named Demise. Demise was sealed away, but Hylia opted to become mortal and live among her people. We are the descendants of Hylia. Knowing this there was also another discovery I found… Every so often a woman is born into the royal family. A woman who is said to be the reincarnation of Hylia. These women often rise to heights of power unreached by any other of our line."

"It sounds amazing," Zelda conceded.

"Indeed," her father said, an unbidden sadness crossing over his features. "The Goddess' soul is ever living. It resides within you."

Zelda blinked. The wolf growled and she hushed him. "Me? Father, that is – Forgive me, but the notion is completely absurd."

"You are Hylia," he replied, eyes intense. "I first witnessed the Goddess in you as a child. There was an accident with the carriage. It had toppled over on the road. Your mother was crushed and the footman had been injured. I was able to pull you away. But then you wept, and the cry was unreal. Mystical. A golden light flashed and in moments the carriage was the way it had been, the footman and my wife were well and waiting for us, and no one remembered a thing that had occurred…but for me." He grinned and shook his head. "Not even the greatest sorcerers could manage that. But a child… You probably do not remember it."

However, as he spoke emotions began flaring in her mind. Fear, hopelessness and unbearable sadness. It all reacted to what he was telling her.

Stunned, Zelda shook her head and interjected, "What is the significance of this?" She needed time to process it all, and there were too many things on her mind to dedicate any effort to that. "We can speak of it later, father. Right now we have to decide what to do about the rebels. They could be marching on us right now."

They were in fact marching on the capital at that very moment. Link had told her that despite what she accomplished the resistance would be making their move. It was up to her to determine whether her father cooperated and was willing to negotiate, or if not…

"Father, please," she entreated, but he was either purposefully ignoring her or he genuinely didn't hear.

He paced as he went on, "Then later I began seeing other revealing glimpses whenever something foul occurred, however, whatever power of Hylia's that you were able to use as a child has grown dormant as you aged. But even then, I've grown so familiar with her essence that I can feel her within you still. You are ripe with her presence, which is part of why I've waited so long."

He shot his burning gaze to her and Zelda took an automatic step back at the intensity of his eyes.

"I love you, Zelda. You are the most precious thing in my life," he asserted, features softening. "I wanted you to live happily as long as you could. I would not have wanted you to know of my hand in all of this, but alas, that is unpreventable now."

His ramblings were becoming more nonsensical by the minute and all of a sudden the warmth and security that she'd always associated with her father didn't seem to apply. Instead she felt unease. Her entire being became on edge with an unusual sense of caution. There was a huge wrongness about him.

"What? What are you saying?" she demanded, tensing when the king slowly approached her and lifted a hand to cup her cheek.

"Whatever is to happen, my conscious shall at least be cleared of lies," he stated, eyes flashing. "Those traitors who attacked you were my men. The bandits were hired by me. I would have had you unaware of the part I played in what was to be your death, but that's unpreventable now. If all had gone well you would have believed it was simply a raid and not died with the anguish of knowing it was your own flesh and blood that had sentenced you."

A cold chill shot down her spine and she hastily stepped backwards, jerking her face away from his hand. "Father?" she breathed.

Her wolf snarled and placed himself before her, but her father didn't seem to care. His eyes trained on Zelda.

"Hylia's soul forever lasting," he murmured quietly to himself, then said, "Whoever consumes the soul of the Goddess shall live forever. Like that wretched demon attempted to do ages ago, I shall eat of your soul and become immortal."

"F-Father!" she cried out, eyes rounding in horror.

Oh Goddesses oh Goddesses!

The wolf's snarling became louder, his hackles raised and his eyes lethal.

The king gazed on in apathy. "A weak king I shall no longer be. As an immortal I shall lead Hyrule into its greatest age. An unending era of might." He brought up his right hand, fisted with the back away. And upon that relatively flat surface Zelda's eyes widened as the image of a triangle separated into four segments appeared, clearly displayed against pale skin. The top triangle was glowing erratically. "The Triforce did not fully yield to me when I entered the sacred realm and touched it. It refused to give me enough power to spare my life… but your soul certainly will."

The wolf sprang. Zelda gave a terrified cry as his jaws instantly clamped onto her father's arm, which had been quickly raised to defend himself. The king fell back, the weight of the wolf on him as he pushed him away with all his might. The wolf snarled and readied for another bite when the king held up his hand, a bright light emanating from his palm. It collided with the wolf, throwing him across the marble floor.

The wolf yelped then rolled then picked himself back up, legs coiled to spring once more. The king clutched his injured limb, suppressing the blood flow, staring hard at the wolf. The wolf attacked at the same moment the king unearthed a hidden knife up his sleeve.

"NO!" Zelda reached out a desperate hand.

The wolf headed straight on, without seeing the knife. Her father revealed his weapon at the last second and once the wolf was upon him, plunged it straight into his side. Another swarm of bright light filled the area and the wolf howled in torment.

He was blasted clear across the chamber, slamming hard against one of the stone pillars and dropping to the floor, blood matting his fur and pooling around him as he became limp. This time he didn't get up.

Shaking with franticness, Zelda turned toward her father, finding him way too calm for what the situation dictated. There was no snide commentary, no maddened glaze to the eyes, no desperate cries for forgiveness. He faced her with remorse, but his eyes were filled with justification as he strode toward her.

"You wish to serve your country by helping the people?" he cajoled, bloodied knife in hand, Triforce glowing with surging power. "You want to find a resolution to this civil war that does not involve bloodshed? Then assist me. Give yourself willingly as a sacrifice."

The sight of her father stalking toward her, prepared to end her life would forever stay with her. It made bile rise up her throat and her eyes fill with desolate tears.

"I can't," she said, wetness obscuring her vision as she backed away.

"Why, Zelda? Why not for your country? For me? This is the only way to save my life."

She wept freely and continued backing up step by step. "Because you are not what's best for Hyrule. Because no country should have a ruler that lives forever. Because my soul is not yours to take."

"Why this resistance? You used to be such a good girl."

"I've changed," she spoke more firmly, blinking furiously to clear her eyes.

"Zelda," her father's tone darkened.

That was enough. Zelda whirled around and sprinted for the door, but then a wave swept through the room, shoving her down in a mass of pressure. Zelda pushed herself up and shakily staggered the rest of the way to the doors. She grabbed onto one of the rungs and heaved with all her might and gave a cry when it didn't so much as budge. She pounded on it, calling out for the guards, for Shad, for anyone, but received no reply.

He'd sealed the door. She was trapped.

Was this it? Was this the aftermath of all that she had been through? To be murdered by her own father?

She felt ill, and more alone than ever, in constant worry for her wolf. There was so much blood. Far too much. Please let him not be dead.

Suddenly she was violently lifted up. An unseen force held her in the air and threw her across the room. She hit the floor and something snapped. She twisted with a moan at her father's feet, her entire left side shooting jolts of pain up her spine.

She blinked away her blurry vision, seeing her father coming for her and attempted to get up. Her weight wasn't supported properly on her left side and she stumbled, leaning heavily against the throne. She screamed as suddenly sheer agony ran through her arm and her entire left hand went numb. Blackness coalesced at the corner of her eyes as she gazed down at the knife protruding from her hand, pegging her to the armrest of the throne.

Her father knelt down beside her, head bowed with guilt and remorse. His fingers were trembling as they weaved through her hair and his eyes were glazed with unshed tears.

"I love you. Know that above all else. I did not want to do this to you."

Zelda was focusing too much on her frenetic breathing to fully analyze what was happening. The pain blinded her to all other sensations. Her periphery was entirely cut off, she could only see a blurred image of the knife.

She screamed as the knife was yanked out, freeing her hand in a spray of blood.

"I'm sorry…"

Death. It was seconds away and she couldn't even pay attention to it. The pain was too distracting for her to focus on anything happening around her.

Except for when her father's form abruptly disappeared and another took his place.

After a few moments of rapid breathing, her vision cleared enough for her to register someone standing above her. A man, by his form. Her eyes cleared further and she gasped upon recognizing him.

Link!

He stood naked before her, body shaking in fits of fury. His scowl was deadly as he stared down at her, giving her a short assessing glance before directing his mutinous glare to her father.

The king sat up from his position splayed across the floor and rubbed his reddening cheek with the back of his bloodied hand. His eyes snapped wide and he quickly shuffled back as Link approached. He raised his glowing hand, Triforce blazing, but swift as lighting Link had his arm in his strong grip and bent it the wrong way. The king cried out when tendons tore and his bone snapped. But Link was not done with him.

Immediately, without giving the king any ease to react, he pounced, jarring the older man to the floor and pinning him with his knee. Zelda watched as Link pummeled him, aiming punch after punch to her father's once pristine face.

His screams tore through her, but Zelda couldn't voice the words to order Link to stop. She clutched her bleeding hand to her chest, red seeping between her fingers and trailing down her arms, and rocked, trying to block out the sounds.

Zelda knew instantly when her father had given up. A cool shiver filled the room and the oak doors were barrelled open. Shouts from outside reached her, along with the pounding of many feet running across the room.

At the king's silence Zelda gathered the courage to look up and to the left where her eyes connected with Link's solemn ones.

He knelt to the side of the king, who lay prone, a deep red staining the floor around him. She kept her gaze focussed on Link, seeing nothing but him.

He levelled his stare at her with the intensity of a feral beast, revealing nothing of his thought process, but he must have been waiting for a reaction on her part. A sign that she detested him for what he had done. He was unflinchingly awaiting judgment, his bearing proud as if conveying that this was what he was. These were the lengths he'd go to for justice.

His eyes, so deep, an unending blue, spoke to her.

' _This is what I am. Accept it.'_

It was at that moment she understood. Her eyes shifted to the gash in his right shoulder before shooting to the spot near the pillar. The wolf was gone. Link…was the wolf.

Meeting his gaze once again confirmed it. They had the same swirling blue eyes.

Simultaneously, they both turned to the approaching group. Men and women without uniform or armor, people Zelda didn't recognize, running toward them at fast pace. The rebels. Then they must have won.

She was more than moderately surprised to see Shad among them, huffing and bent over as if that short jaunt was the limit of any exertion his body could take.

Zelda thought of what the scene must have looked like to their standpoint. Her life was in the hands of the rebels now. Would she be condemned as they had prepared to do to her father? Or would they enact punishment on her for doing nothing all these years?

It was beyond her control now. She had tried to aid the resistance and had accomplished nothing. She and Link had made their choices. Had acted out their parts. Now they'd have to deal with the aftermath.

Instinctively she sought her wolf out – Link out – only…when she turned back to face him… he was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

**Final chapter! Thank you everyone for following along with this story! I hope this last chapter lives up to your expectations!**

* * *

 **Part VII**

 **A New World**

"Just another mile or so and then you can rest, your highness. I know of a suitably sized glade near the river so our horses can drink. Unless your highness wishes to stop now…. Your highness? Your highness?"

Zelda blinked out of her trance like state looking out over the landscape and regarded the captain of her guard. He was respectfully waiting for an answer now that he had her attention.

Zelda tilted her head then resumed admiring the spread of greenery before her. "Very well. Once we reach the river."

There was only one river that travelled this far south of Hyrule and it was the very same river that had embraced her so intimately in its cold suffocating depths. Five weeks ago she may had died in those waters.

The captain straightened and sent a short nod her way. "I shall inform the head of the procession then."

He kicked his mount and sent her trotting to the head of their substantially large party. A total of fifty men accompanied her on her sojourn to Ordon. It was time she repaid her debts to the small village, and to properly thank Uli and her family for all that they had done for her. Not to mention apologize. Theft was certainly not the most depraved thing she could think of when it came to desperation, however even so it amazed her the lengths she'd gone to out of self-preservation. Twenty years later and she'd still be feeling the guilt.

Zelda watched the backs of her guards then scrutinized the others in formation surrounding her in a protective circle, a difficult task in the enclosing forest. She found it still difficult to believe that all of them, every single one of these men, had been former rebels. Her father's soldiers, secretly defying his law and working against him for months. What had her even more bewildered was the fact that Shad, one of the king's personal advisors, had been part of it too. He had been the one to strategize all their plots and to let the rebels into the castle.

Shad rode with them, feet ahead of her, ramrod straight in the saddle, expression stern and calculating, as if he saw the world as a measure of problems he had to solve. Zelda didn't know what to think of his deception, his treason, only that she couldn't fault him for it because she had been prepared to do the same.

Her father…

He had survived. By some act of divine will, her father had survived, but his life expectancy had been whittled down to a quarter of what it had been previously.

Once his injuries had been sufficiently healed and he'd been classified as physically stable, he'd been sent to their shore home at Lake Hylia where he was to live out the rest of his life, watched day and night and forbidden from leaving the property.

Zelda had gone to visit him once so far and during the visit her father had been strapped to the bed. Shad had wanted to take no chances that he might go after her again, and Zelda had allowed it to pass only because of the look in her father's eyes when she saw him. There had been a mix of fury, repulsion, guilt and fear. He'd refused to speak a word to her, no matter how she tried to engage him in conversation. Despite how he'd very nearly succeeded in killing her, she wanted the rest of his life to be pleasant and not stained by sins of the past.

She was heartbroken to think that her only living kin might now despise her. She could no longer believe his prior claims of love. Fatherly affection had left his emotional boundaries the moment he'd wielded that knife against her.

As for herself…

She had been beyond fortunate that she hadn't been stripped of her title as well. For two days after the coup the rebels argued. Many wanted to dissolve the sovereignty and form a democracy. Somehow, though, they had settled on passing down the crown to her. She was to be named queen in a month.

Zelda was no longer as opposed to the decision as she might have been before everything had transpired. Her father had left the country in a state of disaster, and like the dutiful child she was, she would use her station to atone for his sins, and also to redeem herself, for her inaction and naivety.

Already she had scheduled lessons from Shad and the other advisors to learn about the finer aspects of politics. Her life had transitioned from an opulent existence to one so busy she barely had time for anything leisurely. However, she'd managed to slot this little trip to Ordon into her schedule anyways.

She wasn't… as fond of the Ordonians as she had been initially. Except for Uli, who she could not prevent from forever holding in high esteem. As for the rest… ever since their reaction to the wolf, thinking of them, their cruel remarks, and the clear repulsion on their faces, sent cold shivers down her spine. Nevertheless, she would face them in person. Even the foolish Sera. Erasing the woman's ridiculous presumptions about her would be more than satisfying.

In short order they arrived at the riverbank and everyone began dismounting but for two scouts that had been sent on ahead. Zelda didn't hesitate to slide off her horse without assistance, and stretch her cramped legs. Riding side saddle had never been more uncomfortable than when it was done for hours on end. Shad had actually insisted she take the carriage, but if she were to truly atone and get to know the people she couldn't hide herself away behind velvet curtains and block her vision of the world. She wanted exposure, to see Hyrule with clear eyes and for Hyrule to see her.

"Is there anything you require, your highness? Drink? Sustenance?" the captain came up and inquired of her.

Zelda shook her head, holding loosely onto the reigns of her horse as she patted its nose. "No thank you. Perhaps later, when we arrive."

The captain looked unsure, but nodded. "Of course. Orien is only three hours away. Will my lady be able to wait that long?"

"Orien?" Her ears flicked up as she frowned at the captain. "I had thought we would head straight on to Ordon? Stopping at Orien would require a detour."

"Orien is the last village we will encounter before Ordon," said the captain, taken aback. "Wouldn't your highness rather rest at an inn instead of the wilderness?"

Rest at an inn? She had travelled for days across Hyrule, slept in whatever form of shelter she and her wolf could find. Visiting towns and spending the night with a roof over her head had been a rarity. Sleeping in a tent outdoors would be a comfort compared to that.

"I would rather we not delay," she replied evenly. "We head straight on."

The captain looked like he wanted vehemently to object, but wisely held his tongue. He gave her a reverent bow and strode off.

One of the soldiers offered to take care of her mount for her and Zelda gladly handed over the reigns and moved to a more secluded area less crowded by her guards. While the men rested and ate, she lingered at the edge of the camp, gazing into the forest and fancying she could see something grey ambling toward her.

She leaned against a tree and sighed, pressing her fingers to her brows to massage away her tiredness. She was letting her imagination consume her again.

Her wolf… Link, hadn't been seen since he'd disappeared after the fight in the throne room. Was it because he'd revealed himself? That she now knew that he and the wolf were one and the same? Or was is shame that had sent him away? He'd looked so unshakable after beating her father, but perhaps inwardly he'd feared her reaction and had run off so that he wouldn't have to face her.

But she didn't think any less of him! How could she when he'd constantly saved her life. And to defend her against her own father, the King of Hyrule and most powerful man she knew, had been the ultimate show of devotion.

She just wished she could tell him all this in person. No one knew where he was. Not even the heads of the resistance.

She hugged herself and leaned against the trunk of an elm tree. She looked blankly down at her bandaged hand where her father had stabbed her before her ears flickered at the sound of someone approaching. Leaves crunched as Shad walked up to her, giving her a small smile of comfort.

It turned out that he'd known Link even longer than the other resistance members and had been fully aware of his wolf transformations. She'd heard that he'd been searching these past few weeks for any sign of Link, but nothing was turning up.

Zelda herself wasn't inclined to waste the effort. If Link wanted to vanish, then let him. If he wanted to be gone from her life, then that was his choice to make. She wouldn't stop him. But, she'd keep her eyes open for whenever he might decide to return, and hope that that was a day not long in coming.

Shad fixed his glasses and took a place beside her, following her eyes out into the forest. "There is an air of forlornness about you. The guards are mystified by it."

"You know very well the reason for that," she answered curtly, wishing to burrow into the trunk of the tree she leaned upon if only to escape her men's scrutiny.

"Link," Shad sighed and went on, "has made an impact on many people, it seems."

"If you mean that he's aided two princesses achieve their queenships, then yes, I suppose he has."

She wasn't in the mood for this. Talking about Link, even mentioning him, was causing her to ache deeper than anything physical. She thought her blunt tone had been enough of a hint for Shad to back off, but it appeared that his judgement seemed to be a little skewed at the moment.

The scholar gave a small chuckle. "You know, it is funny that for months the others and I have tried to convince Link to take on his Hylian form. Helpful as he was as a wolf, he had far more potential as a man. It is difficult to guess what a person is saying when all he can give you are nods and growls."

Zelda turned sharply to him. "You mean all this time Link's been living as a wolf?"

Shad shrugged and gave a wry smile. "Ever since he left Ordon. Except for a few very rare instances he refused to take Hylian form. And never for anything frivolous."

Her breath pitched. Frivolous like those evenings sitting at the inn's common room and conversing quietly to each other? What had been so special about her that he would become Hylian simply to talk to her when he wouldn't even transform for his friends?

And Goddesses, what had he thought of her all this time? Accompanying her by day as a wolf, her guide and protector, while following and interacting with her at night as the man he was.

How she hated being deceived. Had it been amusing to him? Pretending to be two different beings while playing with her? Would he have kept his secret if he hadn't been forced to transform in the end to deliver his surprise attack on her father?

But the bigger question was would she have felt betrayed as she did now had he just showed her what he was voluntarily?

The feeling of betrayal now though stemmed from the fact that he'd left. Without word or indication, he'd gone. And it broke her heart imagining never being able to see him again.

Shad's eyes seemed to spark, or it might have been the sun glinting off his spectacles, Zelda would never be sure. But in that instance something appeared to dance in his irises as he released the next bit of information.

"He came to us, the resistance, recently though, as a man. Shocked the living daylights out of Ashei. He spoke of a woman he'd met, lost in the woods. He told us of how this woman was the princess and that she'd promised to help in our efforts to bring down the king."

He was trying to comfort her. In his own way. It was no secret, the deep affection she held for Link. He had seen right through her when she'd wept for him minutes after the rebels had burst into the throne room. Shad had been the only one to see that it was not the cry of a frightened child anguished at the betrayal of her father, but of a woman who felt lonely and abandoned at the desertion of the man of her affections.

Zelda bit her bottom lip and mentally scorned herself. "But I did nothing. I failed to reason with him. And if it hadn't been for Link my father would have become far more powerful."

It had horrified her that her father had carried the Triforce of Power, for however short a time it was. An elderly man from the resistance, Auru, had managed to take it back, however. The king's weakened state had aided in that, but when he'd gone to return it to the Sacred Realm, had discovered that the other two pieces of the Triforce were missing. The guards had sworn that none but the king had even encroached the area, but also that they had seen two bright streaks zoom out like flashes of lightning not long after the king's visit.

It was something to fret over and ponder about later. Currently her attention was drawn to her kingdom, which was going through a complete overture.

That's right. Her kingdom deserved her attention. Pining for Link could wait.

"I would object vehemently, your highness," said Shad, in a chiding manner. "That you made the attempt made all the difference. It was your saving grace in the eyes of the rebels. If you hadn't you'd have never been considered for queenship, and then where would Hyrule be without a Harkinian on the throne? The rebels were set on establishing a democracy," he tutted as if the very notion was absurd. "The Goddesses would have thrown a fit."

An uninhibited smile found its way upon her lips, only to swiftly fade. All her life spent in leisure and it was this single belated act that granted her the people's favor.

Zelda jolted at the sudden call that sang throughout the trees. The strident lament of a wolf. More voices followed and any hope she had felt for that split second abruptly dissolved into wisps of disappointment.

Her shoulders shuddered and fell and she tugged her thick cloak closer together, snuggling her chin just under the collar.

"He's waiting for you."

As if her heart wasn't tearing at the seams fast enough, Shad simply had to wound her further with hopeful falsities.

"How would you know?" she said harshly with perhaps a bit of annoyance edged in. "You've admitted yourself you haven't seen him since he left the castle."

There was humor glinting behind Shad's spectacles when he spoke. "No… But if my lady were to look over to the left, between an elder tree and that small rise, she might find something that would appeal to her attention."

Truly the man was a dear and had been an irreplaceable pillar of support for her these trying few weeks, but she was fast tiring of this flippancy in regard to the delicate state of her emotions. It was bizarre. Shad never acted like this. What did he have to profit from by giving her false –

Time stopped and the world stilled. Frozen like the sheen of ice on a winter-besotted pond.

Zelda blinked to clear her eyes but her vision remained unchanged. She was still seeing the limber elder tree, the moss encrusted rise that stood right beside it, and the wolf that stood in the gap between them. A wolf with strange markings on its brow.

A delighted cry fought to escape her lips but came out only as a strangled gasp. Involuntarily her boot treaded a step forward, pausing as she stared at the wolf.

The wolf flicked its ears and turned away, ambling off into the distance.

It took all her strength of will not to hurdle after him. She glanced back at Shad whose expression had become neutral as he sent her a pointed look.

Adjusting his cravat, Shad lofted his chin in the air and threw over his shoulder, "I'll see to the men. We're expecting to depart in twenty minutes."

She caught the hidden amusement in his eyes before shoving aside any distracting thoughts of duty and propriety that pegged her firmly back in camp. Instead she let her spontaneity fly free and ran.

It was in these woods that they'd first met. She'd been running at the time as well. Running away from danger, in fear, desperate, with undulating waves of resolve. This time she ran to _him_ , excited, firm and purposeful.

Nothing could match the pace of her heart with every step she drew nearer.

She spotted him through the trees a ways ahead of her. He had hastened into a sprint, tail flailing behind him as he weaved through the woodland.

Her breaths came in pants as it became hard to keep up with him. Her small bipedal form was no match for his strong canine limbs.

She began to panic when she lost sight of him.

"Link!" she called urgently. "Link, I know it's you. Wait!"

He didn't stop. She glimpsed flashes of his wolf body bounding through the foliage, but never slowing.

Her ankle caught on a snag of wood and she tripped. Zelda staggered to a leaning tree and fell against it to catch her breath.

Tears of frustration escaped their ducts and she closed her eyes to the flow.

"You stupid incorrigible mutt." Her eyes burned as she fell to her knees, rubbing them with the backs of her hands.

There was a shift in the air and then large fingers encompassed hers.

"Always with the fanciful wording. Your royalty is showing through."

A gentle tug coaxed her hands away from her eyes and with blurred vision she saw a brownish-gold mop of scraggly hair and the distinct contours of a face.

A wry laugh escaped her throat as she blinked to clear her eyes. "And you, always messy and unkempt. I thought I taught you better."

Her breath sharpened when she took him in with clarity.

She promptly let out a squeal and threw her arms over her face.

"W-what is it?" Link said in a panic.

Zelda stuttered and flushed with warmth, blood rushing to her head as she replied as coherently as possible for the situation. "Link! You're indecent!"

There was a brief stretch of silence before a low rumbling filled the air between them and his hands were back on hers.

"I believe we're a little past that, don't you think? You've already seen me like this."

"It's not the same!" she shrieked.

"Besides the point."

She waved a hand at him, keeping her eyes shut tight. She unfastened the clasp at the front of her cloak and quickly shrugged it off, thrusting it out to him. "Put this on."

"You're kidding me."

"It's not the same!" she repeated, flustered and thoroughly embarrassed. "You were protecting me. It didn't matter at the time. And I'm soon to be queen! I can't see you like this."

Trapped in the unyielding world of the nobility again. She'd chosen to shoulder the responsibility of taking care of her country and so certain behaviors had to be set aside and boundaries maintained.

There was a sigh from his direction and the shift of movement sounded as if he were standing up.

"There's no need for that. Keep your cloak. I can summon my own wardrobe."

Her outstretched arm fell as her mind whirled with dizzying thoughts. "You can do that? But at the castle you were…" Her face was consumed by a blush, red and hot against the chill of the wind.

"It takes a lot of concentration to conjure clothing," he replied. "Give me a moment."

Zelda waited and only when he took her wrists and lift her up did she ply her hands away from her face. He was as ruggedly handsome as he'd ever been. His poise emitted a look of wildness to it, along with the complacency of a calm demeanor. He was tame, but at the same time, feral. If one could imagine such a thing.

"You ran away." Was the first thing she thought to say, staring into his deep blue irises, swirling with emotions that were battling in confliction with one another.

He seemed to be debating his response before he cast his eyes to the side and admitted, "Yes. I did."

"Why?" she demanded, stepping closer, near enough to feel the heat of his body against her skin. "You didn't come back. Why?"

"I'm here now."

"You don't want to be. I can see it in your stance," she said sadly. "You're waiting for a chance to leave again. Are you that adverse to being around me?"

"No!" he shot out, hands holding hers tighter, then collected himself. "No, it's not that."

"Then what?"

He frowned, dropping their hands but not letting go. "You're right. It's not the same. You were just a girl when I met you. You were injured," he briefly made contact with the spot on her shoulder where the arrow had pierced her. "Freezing, and half drowned, lost in the woods. And you were the most beautiful person I'd ever seen. You were clearly disadvantaged, and I could never leave anyone helpless. I couldn't leave you to die, so I took care of you. I bandaged your wound, kept you warm, and brought you to my old village then went to find Uli. She and Rusl were the only ones there who knew about my wolf side, although Rusl's never fully trusted me ever since I decided to become feral."

Zelda watched his features scrunch as she listened attentively. It was fascinating hearing his side of the events and she became engrossed in the monologue.

Link shook his head, ears flicking. "In Ordon you were safe, and that was that. I never stopped to think of why you'd appeared in the forest, and I determined that it was none of my business. But I was soon to find that you were just prone to trouble." He said this with a tinge of amusement.

Zelda moved a fraction closer to him. "An unusual association."

"Somehow I doubt that," he mused softly. "I did drop by every once in a while to see how you were faring. And I admit to some amusement whenever I saw Uli trying to teach you something. You were horrible at everything you did."

"Well I'm glad you found humor in my failures," she huffed in feigned annoyance.

He grinned, but too soon it was stymied. "I smelled the smoke that day the bandits came. I…" He growled as if the very memory angered him. "I was furious. They had attacked the village, and although it is not my home anymore, it is where I grew up. The people I cared about were there and in danger. And then there was you. I had brought you to Ordon to be safe, so you'd be able to make it back home, but they ruined all that. By threatening your life it felt like I'd failed you. I just felt, after all I'd done while helping Midna… I had hurt so many, I had learned to kill and become a destroyer, but this one chance I had to actually save a life and do some good…"

He released a trembling breath. "I was touched when you stood up for me. Undeserving as it was. I had thought you'd be frightened. Even Rusl was wary of me, and Uli was being cautious. But you understood. A complete stranger understood and defended me. I became… intrigued, I suppose. A meek noblewoman who couldn't even darn a shirt took the side of a wolf. If it were anyone else I'd have deduced that you were either naïve or dense. But ever since I've met you there had always been a glow of wisdom in your eyes."

Zelda ducked her head timidly. His compliment made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. "And then you began to follow me everywhere, as man and wolf. To watch over me…?"

He stared intensely at her. "I was determined to get you home safe and to do that you needed monitoring. You were being hunted for reasons unknown at the time. I honestly didn't realize what I was getting myself into until you revealed exactly who you were."

She nodded deep in thought. "So you stalked me."

He cringed and shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry if my behavior came across that way…"

"I wondered why we ran into each other as often as we did," she muttered demurely. A knife dug itself in her heart and she looked away. "So it was obligation that made you assist me."

Silence descended between them and the atmosphere became heavy.

Zelda tore her hands away and pivoted on her heel, stumbling a few steps before the pressing lump in her throat forced her to pause.

A deep sigh escaped Link. "I came to see you today so I could say goodbye."

She turned so fast her hair whipped against her face, eyes widened to saucer like proportions. "What? Why?"

His smile was forced and fake and everything that a smile from him should never be. "Courtesy. We won't ever be seeing each other again after this. You'll be queen and I'll be gone."

"What?" she asked, voice quavering.

"I'm leaving Hyrule. I… There's just…" He growled when he couldn't get the words out and Zelda felt her heart beating faster.

"You – You can't leave!"

"Zelda," he said smoothly then coughed, "Your highness-"

"No! It's Zelda," she stated adamantly. She wouldn't have him calling her anything but her true name.

The thought of him leaving, of going to a new land and starting a new life there, a family of his own, was too much to bear.

"You can't leave."

He gave a sour chuckle. "You want someone – _something_ – like me staying in Hyrule? You saw what I did to those men. What I did to your father. I was cursed into a wolf while helping Queen Midna reclaim her throne. Her powers cured me and made it so that I can change back and forth at will. But do you know why I'd initially turned into a wolf when I was cursed? Because it reflected my inner being. I have a harsh sense of justice, sometimes even cruel. I take punishment into my own hands and kill without mercy."

"But only when it is deserved," she defended.

He rounded on her, baring his teeth. "And who's to say it is deserved? I have no right to declare myself judge, jury and executor. But it is an aspect that I cannot curtail. You don't need someone like me darkening your queendom."

"But if you were king it would be well within your right," she said quietly, hopefully.

His jaw dropped so quickly that in any other circumstance she would have found it humorous. He stammered as his tongue fought to form comprehensible syllables.

"I – I don't understand."

She took a bold step toward him. "Then you are either naïve or completely dense. Or is it that you are afraid. But then I see courage in your eyes so that mustn't be so."

"Zelda-"

"I might…" She took another step to him and she could see his throat bobbing as he swallowed. "Have fallen in love with you."

Whatever stupor had fallen over him faded away as he quickly got a hold of himself. "There's a word for women who fall in love with their saviors. What you're feeling is awe. It's not genuine affection."

"Is it not?" she pressed, suddenly bold in her desperation not to lose him. "I loved my wolf as a pet. He was a companion to me. He cared when he didn't have to. And when he became the man he cared even more. I held no fondness for him at first, but then he and I kept on bumping into each other and I was able to witness more of his kindness. He cared for the people, and he cared for me, the daughter of the man he was trying to bring to justice. He was even sympathetic enough to grant me a chance to save that man, even though it was clear that he despised him." She whispered, "Maybe you saving me indeed has endeared you more deeply to me, but it was your kindness that won my heart. Your kindness and your earnestness." She raised a hand before he could interrupt, "The only way you deceived me was by not revealing that you were my wolf. Everything else was simply you."

She was melting under his piercing gaze, his swirling blue orbs deep and profound.

"If you decide to still leave, I will not stop you," she said softly, biting her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. "I would not bind you. I would see you happy without me forcing you into anything. Go and live somewhere your past won't haunt you. Just…be loved, start a family, and don't be lonely…"

Her eyes were blurring again. Damn these tears. They appeared right when she didn't want them to and impeded her sight. How was she to memorize the image of the man before her if she couldn't even see him?

A calloused hand cupped her chin and all of a sudden her traitorous tears were being wiped away.

"Didn't you know," he said, caressing her face. "Wolves mate for life."

She smiled, heart pounding as she pressed her face into his palm, her hand sliding over his, tears pouring down faster.

"So then…"

"Even if I were to leave, I couldn't choose anyone else. My heart would have always been right here with you," he said.

A lump caught in her throat as she gazed up at him. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to rob you of your freedom."

"You give me a choice, my lady," he replied. "I am free."

"But you wouldn't be able to roam as you please. You'd be stuck in Hyrule most of the time and no longer have the chance to explore other lands."

"Wolves are naturally territorial and stay within their regions anyways," he answered easily, shrugging with a smile. "I shall simply have to make the entirety of Hyrule my territory. Before I mostly only occupied Ordon. This would be an expansion in a way."

"Hyrule won't be the same," she said. "The system is changing. A lot of work will need to be done to institute these changes smoothly."

He took her hand and gently placed a kiss on her gloved knuckles. "I would create a new world with you."

Her entire being warmed and she gazed ardently at him. "Link."

"Are you done now? For someone who was fighting for me five minutes ago you seem awfully intent on getting rid of me?" he quipped with a sly grin.

"I just want to be certain-"

He wove an arm around her waist and swiftly pulled her to him, her lithe body flush against his. "Be certain of this."

Then he dipped his head and kissed her.

 **xXFinXx**

* * *

 **Thank you everyone for reading, and a huge thanks to those who've left a review, faved or followed! I hope you all enjoyed.**

 **I'll be focusing more on my other stories now that this one is complete, so feel free to peruse them at your leisure.**

 **~Darcie**


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